PRIME MINISTER

Members: Surveillance

Julian Huppert: To ask the Prime Minister whether it is his policy that the terms of the Wilson doctrine in respect of the (a) telephone tapping, (b) other interception of communications and (c) electronic surveillance of hon. Members should remain in force; and in how many instances since 1983 such interceptions have not yet been reported to the House.

David Cameron: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my noble Friend, the right hon. Lord Wallace of Saltaire to the noble Lord Strasburger on 3 July 2013, Official Report,House of Lords, column WA238.

SCOTLAND

Energy

Christopher Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what costs were incurred by his Department's estate in respect of (a) gas and (b) electricity supply in the 2012-13 financial year.

David Mundell: The costs incurred by the Scotland Office in the 2012-13 financial year, in respect of (a) gas was £6,876.40 and (b) electricity was £110,804.98, which includes £47,744.96 for Whitehall Standby Distribution System Standing Charges.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Afghanistan

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what work has been undertaken by her Department to assess the likely number of applicants for leaseholdings before committing investment to the development of Bost Industrial Park.

Justine Greening: Officials met with local businesses in 2009 to discuss the business park.

Bangladesh

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what meetings she has had to discuss the garment industry in Bangladesh in the last 12 months.

Alan Duncan: The Secretary of State for International Development, my right hon. Friend the Member for Putney (Justine Greening), and I held a meeting in London on 3 July with UK retailers and brand owners, including companies supplied by the garment industry in Bangladesh, to identify opportunities for improving working conditions for the poorest people around the world and promoting economic development. When I visited Dhaka in June I met international brands, factory owners, workers and the Government of Bangladesh to discuss the garment industry. The Under-Secretary of State for International Development, the hon. Member for Hornsey and Wood Green (Lynne Featherstone), chaired a meeting with trade union representatives in July which included a discussion on the garment industry in Bangladesh.

Developing Countries: Forests

Michael Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what her Department's policy is on supporting deforestation in developing nations for the production of (a) palm oil and (b) biofuels in rare species' wildlife habitats.

Lynne Featherstone: Tackling deforestation requires action to curb the international demand for commodities such as palm oil that are driving deforestation, as well as support to developing countries to tackle the problem at its source.
	DFID supports a number of programmes and policy initiatives which apply this approach, including the Forests Governance, Markets and Climate (FGMC) programme, which is supported by the Government's International Climate Fund. Stopping deforestation also protects forest habitat for rare species of wildlife.

Developing Countries: Maternity Services

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development to which countries her Department provides financial or technical support to maternal health programmes where user fees are levied.

Lynne Featherstone: Out-of-pocket payments made at the time that health services are used, whether in the public or the private sector, act as a major barrier to access for poor people, especially women and children. In all countries, including countries where the UK has maternal health programmes, some people are required to make out-of-pocket payments to cover some or all of the cost of their health care.
	The UK has a long track record of supporting countries to replace out-of-pocket payments with more equitable and efficient means of financing health care and has used a range of mechanisms to do so. The UK has provided direct bilateral support to several countries as they removed out-of-pocket payments, including Uganda, Burundi, Sierra Leone and Nepal, and is designing new support to Ghana, Kenya and Mozambique. The UK also funds the Department of Health Systems and Financing at the World Health Organisation, which is supporting more than 20 countries to develop more equitable health financing systems.

Developing Countries: Tuberculosis

Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment her Department has made of the Stop TB Partnership's TB REACH programme; and when a decision on funding for TB REACH will be made.

Lynne Featherstone: DFID reviewed the external evaluation of TB REACH, which noted that TB REACH had successfully funded innovative approaches leading to additional TB cases being detected amongst high risk population groups and in high-burden countries. However, the report also noted concerns on the scalability and sustainability of TB REACH.
	DFID has not yet made a decision on TB REACH funding. However, in September the UK Government committed up to one billion pounds for 2014-16 to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria. The Global Fund commitment substantially increases our support to TB and TB-HIV and equates to approximately £180 million of UK development funding for TB over the next three years, providing TB treatment to more than one million people.

Developing Countries: Tuberculosis

Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions she has had with her Canadian counterparts in the Department for Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development on support for TB Reach; and what discussions her Department plans to hold with them in future.

Lynne Featherstone: The Secretary of State for International Development has not had any discussions with her Canadian counterparts about support for TB Reach.

International Labour Organisation

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much funding her Department gave to the International Labour Organisation in each of the last 10 financial years.

Alan Duncan: DFID's central finance records only hold details of supplier payments for the past four financial years, due to a systems change. In the period for which information is available, the central financial records show the following payments made directly to the International Labour Organisation:
	
		
			 Financial year ended: £ 
			 31 March 2010 4,069,395 
			 31 March 2011 71,848 
			 31 March 2012 0 
			 31 March 2013 0 
		
	
	Additionally, the records show the following payments made directly to the International Training Centre of the International Labour Organisation:
	
		
			 Financial year ended: £ 
			 31 March 2010 674 
			 31 March 2011 20,297 
			 31 March 2012 787 
		
	
	
		
			 31 March 2013 0

Overseas Trade

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what meetings she has had with ministerial colleagues in the (a) Foreign and Commonwealth Office and (b) Department for Business, Innovation and Skills on trade with (i) India, (ii) countries in Africa and (iii) Bangladesh in the last 12 months.

Alan Duncan: The Secretary of State for International Development, my right hon. Friend the Member for Putney (Justine Greening), met the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, the right hon. Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), earlier this year where they discussed trade with India, and developing country interests within the World Trade Organisation's multilateral negotiations. The Secretary of State has also engaged in numerous discussions with Government Ministers, including from the Foreign Office, on promoting growth and economic development in Africa and Asia.

Sub-Saharan Africa

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development which programmes her Department is supporting to address youth unemployment in each sub-Saharan nation in which her Department is active; and if she will make a statement.

Lynne Featherstone: All of our country programmes in sub-Saharan Africa support activities which address youth unemployment, either directly or indirectly. We have a number of programmes which target youth directly to help improve their employment opportunities. These programmes include the Employment Creation Fund and the Gauteng Youth Placement Scheme in South Africa, giving education-deprived youth in South Sudan practical livelihood skills through a Youth Education programme, supporting youth skills training and young entrepreneurs in Uganda, the ‘You Win’ entrepreneurship programme and youth participation in a roads maintenance programme in Nigeria and a youth employment programme in Mombasa, Kenya which is looking specifically at labour market entry for youth.
	All country programmes work to increase growth and jobs in their countries through a range of interventions including encouraging investment, removing barriers to trade, developing local markets and increasing skills in the labour market. These broader activities benefit youth as well as the general population. In Sierra Leone, for example, early results from a pilot Job Creation Scheme, which does not specifically target youth, show that around 80% of new jobs are filled by young people.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development when she intends to answer Parliamentary Question numbers 169290 and 169243, tabled on 11 September for answer on 13 September 2013.

Justine Greening: The parliamentary questions that the hon. Member refers to have now been answered and published on 16 October 2013, Official Report, column 778W.

Zimbabwe

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much aid was given to Zimbabwe in the latest year for which figures are available; and what conditions were attached to such aid.

Lynne Featherstone: In the financial year 1 April 2012 to 31 March 2013, DFID granted £82 million to support the poorest people in Zimbabwe. DFID has not given any funding directly to the Government of Zimbabwe for over a decade (due to a lack of commitment to the UK's partnership principles including human rights, anti-corruption and domestic accountability) and has no plans to do so.
	Instead, DFID Zimbabwe grants UK Aid primarily through multilateral organisations, notably United Nations (UN) agencies, international non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and the private sector to deliver projects in a co-ordinated way with the rest of the international system. We expect all our implementing partners to meet high standards of financial management and accounting to achieve strong expected results, at best value for money.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Animal Welfare

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what will be the practical requirements of paragraph 5(a) of Schedule 3 to the Welfare of Animals at Time of Killing in England 2012 Regulations, if it reverts to the requirement in the current Welfare of Animals (Slaughter or Killing) Regulations 1995 for rapid, uninterrupted movements of the knife.

George Eustice: The requirement for rapid, uninterrupted movements of the knife in paragraph 5(a) of Schedule 3 of the latest draft of the Welfare of Animals at the Time of Killing Regulations is the same requirement as that in paragraph 6(b) of Schedule 12 of the Welfare of Animals (Slaughter or Killing) Regulations 1995. The only difference is that the former specify that the knife must be hand-held.

Animal Welfare

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what practical changes will emerge for those engaging in religious slaughter as a result of the Welfare of Animals at the Time of Killing in England 2012 Regulations.

George Eustice: Following last year's consultation, the Government has made clear that it will retain existing national rules for religious slaughter in the Welfare of Animals at the Time of Killing Regulations where they give greater protection than EU Regulation 1099/2009 on the protection of animals at the time of killing.

Bovine Tuberculosis

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 21 October 2013, Official Report, column 53W, on bovine tuberculosis: south west, when Natural England (NE) were informed of any possible need to extend the culls; when NE granted the application for extension; whether this decision took place after a full meeting of the NE board; and what the result was of any vote which took place in the board on the decision to extend the culls.

George Eustice: The culling company in west Somerset applied to Natural England (NE) for an extension of the culling period on 1 October. The culling company in west Gloucestershire applied for an extension of the culling period on 9 October.
	An extension was granted to the west Somerset pilot cull on 11 October, and to the west Gloucestershire pilot cull on 23 October. The NE Board met on 23 October to consider whether the application in relation to west Gloucestershire should be determined by the Board, and decided to leave the determination to the NE Executive.

Bovine Tuberculosis

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 21 October 2013, Official Report, column 54W, on bovine tuberculosis: south west, what assessment (a) his Department, (b) Natural England, (c) the Independent Expert Panel have made of the effect of a change in culling methods on the validity of scientific data gathered.

George Eustice: Controlled shooting and cage-trapping followed by shooting are the only culling methods permitted under licence from Natural England during the pilots. There has been no change of culling method during the pilots.

Bovine Tuberculosis

Gavin Shuker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the University of Exeter and the National Wildlife Management Centre on their research into badger group disruption aids and the spread of bovine TB published on 21 October 2013.

George Eustice: Officials, including the chief scientific adviser, have discussed the findings with the university of Exeter and the National Wildlife Management Centre. The research did not look at the effect of culling on social group disruption, but at contact rates within a stable population and their correlation to infection.

Bovine Tuberculosis

Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he plans to publish his assessment of the (a) effectiveness and (b) humaneness of the badger cull; and if he will make a statement.

George Eustice: A report to Ministers on the outcome of pilot culls will be published after the culls have been completed and following a review of the results by an independent panel of experts.

Bovine Tuberculosis: South West

Jonathan Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he is taking to determine the safety and humaneness of the pilot badger culls in Somerset and Gloucestershire; and if he will make a statement.

George Eustice: An independent expert panel has been appointed specifically to look at the safety, humaneness and effectiveness of controlled shooting during the pilots. The panel has overseen the development of protocols to do so and will analyse the data collected during the pilots before reporting to Ministers.

Dolphins

Neil Parish: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  if he will review the adequacy of existing laws to protect and conserve populations of bottlenose dolphins inhabiting the UK coastline;
	(2)  what is being done to protect and conserve bottlenose dolphins inhabiting the UK coastline.

George Eustice: Bottlenose dolphins are strictly protected in UK waters under the EU habitats directive and also under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. This legislation requires the protection of all dolphins from deliberate disturbance, capture or killing. There are currently no plans to review this.
	To help contribute to securing favourable conservation status for this species under the EU habitats directive, the UK has designated Special Areas of Conservation in Cardigan Bay and the Moray Firth, where there are semi-resident groups of bottlenose dolphin.
	EU Regulation 812/2004 also establishes measures to tackle cetacean bycatch in relevant fisheries, including in UK waters. In 2012 the European Commission provided a report on the implementation of this regulation, including a way forward.

Dolphins

Neil Parish: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent reports he has received of incidents of harassment, injury and death of bottlenose dolphins caused by boats off the coast of Cornwall.

George Eustice: Following reports of the death of a bottlenose dolphin off the coast of Cornwall in July, the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) has worked with local groups to publicise guidance relating to the disturbance of marine wildlife. The Cornwall Wildlife Trust has set up a marine disturbance hotline in the south-west for members of the public to report incidents.
	Neither DEFRA, nor the MMO has received reports of other incidents involving bottlenose dolphins since the above incident in July. Data from the UK Cetacean Strandings Investigation Programme similarly indicate that there have been no other bottlenose dolphin strandings recorded in Cornwall in 2013.

Telephone Services

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what his Department's policy is on the use of geographical telephone numbers to allow the public to contact his Department.

Dan Rogerson: Core DEFRA offers a geographical telephone number to callers outside the UK as some international telecom companies do not support calls to non-geographical numbers.
	Core DEFRA offers a non-geographical number to callers within the UK because this number allows suppliers to manage call flows and call routing to provide a better service to the caller.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Burma

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of reports of ethnic cleansing and human rights abuses against the Rohingya people in Burma; and what reports he has received on their continued imprisonment in Thai immigration detention facilities.

Hugo Swire: The British Government has been among the most vocal members of the international community in raising our concerns about the plight of the Rohingya community. In Burma we continue to make clear to the Burmese Government that where serious crimes have been committed, those who have perpetrated them must be held accountable for their actions. This should be done through a clear and transparent investigative and prosecutorial process that meets international standards. Further independent investigative work to fully establish the facts would be required for an informed assessment as to whether ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity have been committed.
	We also continue to raise our concerns about the condition of Rohingya refugees, particularly those who flee through Thailand, with the Thai Government.

Burma

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 18 July 2013, Official Report, column 877, on human rights: Burma, what recent representations he has made to his Burmese counterpart on (a) allowing the UN access to military sites and (b) ending the recruitment of children as soldiers in Burma.

Hugo Swire: Engaging the military will be vital if Burma's reform process is to succeed. The British Government appointed A defence attaché to Burma in February this year at the request of the Burmese Government and Aung San Suu Kyi; our defence attaché will be the primary mechanism for such engagement. We will focus on efforts to ensure that the Burmese military is democratically accountable and operates within the context of international standards, including human rights. We set out these objectives clearly to President Thein Sein during his visit to the UK in July 2013. Part of our engagement will focus on the issue of ending the recruitment of child soldiers.
	In August 2013 the UK, as part of the UN Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict agreed a resolution on the issue of child soldiers in Burma. The resolution specifically calls on the Burmese Government to ensure the UN country team is granted access to all military sites, and that steps are taken to remove the incentives for recruiting child soldiers and to strengthen age verification mechanisms. Officials are in regular contact with UN staff and we will continue to engage with the Burmese Government and Burmese military on this issue.

Burma

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 12 July 2013, Official Report, column 427W, on Burma, what the outcome was of meetings in July 2013 between his Department and President Thein Sein of Burma on the treatment of the Rohingya people and the release of political prisoners; and if he will make a statement.

Hugo Swire: As I set out during the Adjournment debate in the House on 8 October 2013, Official Report, columns 138-40, the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs raised a number of our concerns during the visit of President Thein Sein. These concerns included the continuing plight of the Rohingya community in Rakhine State and specifically their citizenship status of the Rohingya.
	The Prime Minister and the Secretary of State also repeated our calls for the release of all remaining political prisoners. To that effect, we welcomed the commitment made by President Thein Sein during his visit to release all political prisoners by the end of 2013. As I stated to the House on 8 October, while we welcome recent releases, we also call on the Burmese Government to repeal repressive laws that have led to a number of fresh arrests of political activists over the past year.

China

Ian Swales: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of forced organ harvesting in Chinese prisons; and what discussions he has had with his Chinese counterpart on this practice.

Hugo Swire: We are aware that organs removed from executed prisoners are used for human transplantation purposes in China. Chinese law requires that prisoners give prior consent that their organs be used in this way. We note the pledge made by the Chinese Ministry of Health to begin phasing out the practice from November 2013.
	We welcome steps the Chinese Government has taken in recent years toward regulating organ transplantation in line with international standards and establishing a national register for voluntary donors. We continue to encourage China to make further progress in this respect, including by engaging where appropriate to share best practice in the areas of organ donation and transplantation.

Fisheries: Pitcairn Islands

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the economic and environmental viability of offshore commercial fishing within the Pitcairn Islands' exclusive economic zone.

Mark Simmonds: There is no offshore commercial fishery operating in Pitcairn Island waters, nor are there plans to create one. The Pew Environment Group has produced reports on the environmental viability of a commercial fishery, but there are limited data on the economic feasibility of such a venture. Work is under way to explore and assess all potential economic opportunities available to the Pitcairn Islanders, and this will include that of a sustainable fishery. The Government is committed to working with the Pitcairn Island Government and with partner organisations to ensure the sustainable management of Pitcairn' s marine environment.

Guinea

Stephen Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to support the government and people of the Republic of Guinea in that country's transition to democracy.

Mark Simmonds: Britain is providing both political and practical support for Guinea's transition to democratic Government, bilaterally and through multilateral channels, in particular the UN and EU. The role of women in elections has been the target of our support. In line with that, we have funded the training of 200 women election observers. We welcome the holding of peaceful legislative elections on 28 September, and look forward to the establishment of the new National Assembly as soon as possible.

Iran

Neil Parish: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received that Iran is circumventing arms embargo sanctions.

Hugh Robertson: The Final Report of the UN's Iran Sanctions Committee's Panel of Experts of 5 June 2013 stated that Yemen reported an incident involving the transfer of conventional arms and related materiel in February 2013. Other reports suggest that Iran continues to transfer arms within the middle east and Africa—including to Syria, Gaza, and Kenya. Iran must end such activity immediately.

Libya

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the extent of human trafficking in Libya;
	(2)  what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on the trafficking of people within Libya.

Hugh Robertson: We have not made our own assessment of the extent of human trafficking in Libya, but we are aware that this issue remains a serious concern. The most recent figures produced by the Global Slavery Index suggest that an estimated 17,000 to 19,000 people in Libya have become the victims of trafficking since the revolution.
	Libya committed to combating human trafficking in its work to improve border security and management in the country under the six security sector pillars identified as priority areas at the Paris Conference in February. The international community, including the UK, committed to providing further assistance to Libya on those priorities.

Libya

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Libyan government on the recent assassination of Ahmed al-Barghathi.

Hugh Robertson: Members of the British Government speak regularly with our counterparts in the Libyan Government, including on issues of security. On 11 October 2013 I condemned the assassination campaign in the east of the country. We continue to stress the importance of all perpetrators of serious crimes in Libya being brought to justice.

Libya

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the current (a) security and (b) political situation in Libya; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the process of democratisation in Libya.

Hugh Robertson: Since the fall of the Gaddafi regime two years ago, the situation in Libya has changed significantly. Libya has held successful national elections for the first time in over 40 years. Prime Minister Zeidan's democratically-elected Government, and the transitional Government before it, has made some progress in rebuilding government ministries, registering revolutionary fighters, and restarting oil and gas production.
	However, the political transition in Libya will take time in light of four decades of mismanagement and dictatorship. Libya is now at a critical stage in its transition and still faces significant challenges. Armed militia outside of the Government's control continue to intimidate the Government and General National Congress, as evident in the recent kidnapping of Prime Minister Zeidan. The police and armed forces lack the authority and capability to secure the country. Political divisions are hampering progress overall. The UK, along with our international partners, is providing political and technical support to assist Libya during these critical times.

Libya

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the number of internally displaced people in Libya;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the current humanitarian situation in Libya; and if he will make a statement.

Hugh Robertson: The most recent estimate produced by Amnesty International suggests that approximately 58,000 people are internally displaced in Libya, with many accommodated in camps outside Tripoli and Benghazi. The Libyan Government has made a commitment to improve the living conditions of internally displaced groups, to prepare conditions for a return to their home cities and to make progress on securing justice for alleged crimes against them. Our embassy is in contact with the groups affected and has raised these issues with the Libyan Government.

Libya

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what projects the Government is supporting to improve governance in Libya.

Hugh Robertson: We have offered an expanded package of assistance, focusing on building accountable and human rights-compliant security and justice structures, and creating effective financial management and economic governance systems in Libya. For example, we are providing or have provided:
	strategic advice on restoring public security and promoting the rule of law through police advisors working within the Interior Ministry;
	a UK detentions adviser, working within the Ministry of Justice to assist on detention facilities and rule of law issues;
	a defence advisory and training team (DATT) of about 20 personnel. The team has advisers embedded in the Libyan MOD, Navy, Air Force, border security force and joint training directorate;
	£1.5 million to the UN elections fund and training of domestic electoral observers focusing on women and youth groups;
	support to develop two new programmes to assist capacity building of Libyan institutions for private sector development and emergency job creation in central Libya.

Maldives

Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received on the political situation in the Maldives; and what urgent steps he is taking to help ensure that elections in that country take place as soon as possible.

Hugo Swire: We continue to receive regular reports on the deeply unsatisfactory political situation in the Maldives ahead of the scheduled re-run of the first round of presidential elections on 9 November. Our high commissioner to Colombo, who is also accredited to the Maldives, has travelled to Malé this week in order to meet with key figures including presidential candidates, President Waheed and the Elections Commissioner. British High Commission staff were also in the Maldives on 19 October in order to observe elections, and following the cancellation of the vote were also able to meet with key figures.
	We continue to work closely with the international community in order to help ensure that elections take place as scheduled. Since 19 October I have spoken three times to the Commonwealth Secretary-General to discuss the Maldives, and the Prime Minister also raised the Maldives during his discussion with the Commonwealth Secretary-General on 21 October. I have also made publicly clear that the UK will be watching the situation closely and that the Elections Commission should be given space to make the preparations necessary for the first round to be held on 9 November. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), released a statement on 19 October which made clear that:
	‘continuing challenges to prevent elections taking place will be seen as nothing less than an attempt to frustrate the democratic process.'

Muhammed Sillah

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the detention of Muhammed Sillah in Canada and his proposed deportation to Gambia.

Hugh Robertson: The British Government has not made an assessment on this issue. Canadian immigration and asylum issues are a matter for the Canadian authorities.

Press Freedom: Iran

Rebecca Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment his Department has made of levels of press freedom in Iran.

Hugh Robertson: We continue to be concerned about the lack of press freedom in Iran. At least 40 journalists—as well as 29 bloggers and online activists—are reportedly serving sentences in Iran. At least 23 journalists have reportedly been arrested since January 2013. This includes the arrest of 15 journalists between 25 and 27 January, the largest mass arrest of journalists in the country since 2009.

Seas and Oceans: South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will take steps to strengthen the level of marine protection around South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands in line with the International Union for the Conservation of Nature protected area management categories.

Mark Simmonds: The protection of the marine environment around South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands is a matter for the Government of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (GSGSSI). Following an initial declaration of a large marine protected area (MPA) in 2012, GSGSSI consulted scientists and stakeholders and in January 2013 announced an enhanced suite of measures, strengthening the extensive environmental protection already implemented by the existing MPA (over 1,000,000km(2) area).
	These additional protection measures, which were developed in accordance with guidelines from the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), incorporate an innovative combination of spatial and temporal closures. Within the MPA, 92% of the seafloor is protected from any form of bottom fishing, including all of the seafloor within 12 miles of the island of South Georgia. A seasonal closure of the krill fishery prevents competition between the fishery and the abundant krill-eating predators, for example penguins and seals. This novel approach to marine protection provides an excellent model for the implementation of MPAs in other parts of the world.

Somalia

Stephen Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of progress in stabilising Somalia.

Mark Simmonds: Somalia has come a long way in a short time. In May, the UK jointly hosted a second Somalia Conference with the Federal Government of Somalia. This generated further international support for the Somalian Federal Government's plans for the armed forces, police, rebuilding the judiciary, and public financial management. The Somali President set out his plan for political reconciliation and roadmap to elections in 2016; and international partners pledged some $350 million (around £216 million) in new financial support aligned to these plans. In September, a further conference in Brussels brought together Somalia and the international community to agree a 'New Deal Compact', a plan for the international community to support the Government of Somalia in rebuilding the country. This sustained international support, in which the UK continues to play a leading role, has produced real gains on the ground, including the agreement signed between the Federal Government and the Interim Juba Administration in the South of Somalia. However the situation remains fragile. Al Shabaab remains active, and it is important that the Somali National Forces and African Union Mission in Somalia take the fight to Al Shabaab to create the space for political reconciliation. We are working closely with the Federal Government of Somalia to maintain international support for that and their wider objectives.

Syria

Margaret Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance has been offered to refugees from Syria with family members and connections in the UK.

Mark Harper: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Home Department.
	The Government shares the deep concerns of others regarding the continuing humanitarian crisis in Syria.
	In line with our international obligations, family members of those granted refugee status in the UK (including those from Syria) may apply for family reunion from outside the UK.
	However, the Government has no current plans to resettle Syrian refugees or to provide emergency humanitarian admission. We continue to believe that the immediate priority should be to provide humanitarian assistance to displaced people in partnership with neighbouring countries and the United Nations High Commission for Refugees. The UK has now increased its pledge for the Syrian relief effort to £500 million. This represents the UK's largest ever response to a humanitarian crisis.

Western Sahara

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the European Commission will be required to inform the UN Secretary General of fish taken from the waters of Western Sahara under the new protocol to the EU-Morocco Fisheries Partnership Agreement.

Hugh Robertson: The new protocol to the fisheries agreement between the European Union and the Kingdom of Morocco has not yet been agreed by the Council and the European Parliament. The new protocol, as initialled, does not require the UN Secretary-General to be informed of fish taken from the waters of western Sahara.

Zimbabwe

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment has been made of the human rights record of the Zimbabwe government.

Mark Simmonds: Despite some longstanding concerns, the overall human rights situation in Zimbabwe has remained stable in recent months. Where human rights violations have occurred, they have included harassment of civil society organisations (CSOs), human rights defenders and opposition political activists. We also remain concerned about the repressive legislation and limited media freedom which affect all Zimbabweans.
	We welcome the peaceful and calm manner in which the elections on 31 July were held, despite intimidation and the threat of violence during the lead up to polling day. We remain concerned, however, that the conduct of the elections was seriously flawed, with clear evidence of voting irregularities. We have made clear to international partners and the Zimbabwean Government our concerns over the credibility of the process.
	The UK government will continue to monitor the human rights issues in Zimbabwe closely. We call regularly, both bilaterally and in partnership with other EU member states, for an end to all such abuses. We expect the new Government to restore internationally accepted human rights standards and to honour its obligations, and ensure the protection and promotion of fundamental freedoms for all Zimbabweans.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

House of Commons Chamber

Joan Walley: To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, representing the House of Commons Commission what recent inspections have been undertaken of thermostat controls in the Chamber; what routine maintenance is carried out on the heating system in the Chamber; and if he will make a statement.

John Thurso: The Chamber's environmental controls (including thermostat/sensor control) are inspected before every sitting of the House and are monitored throughout by staff in Engineers' Control using building management systems, including alarms. Maintenance plans are designed to minimise the risk of the heating system going wrong. If the hon. Member has concerns about specific issues, the DG, Facilities would be happy to discuss these with her.
	All the plant systems serving the Chamber are regularly maintained to ensure efficiency and cost-effectiveness. The major plant serving the Chamber is being refurbished under the major medium term mechanical and electrical programme.

ICT

Chi Onwurah: To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, representing the House of Commons Commission what assessment the Commission has made of the security and privacy implications of moving hon. Members' ICT services onto the Cloud.

John Thurso: While it is not the practice of the Commission to comment on security matters in any detail, the high-level position is that Parliamentary ICT, working with the Parliamentary Security Director, the Senior Information Risk Owners of both Houses, Speaker's Counsel, other parties and the supplier, has assessed the risks of the proposed new arrangements for the security and privacy of parliamentary data. These are generally assessed as positive in relation to conventional cyber attack and negligible in relation to potential cross-jurisdictional action (for example, under the USA PATRIOT Act).
	The biggest risk to the security and privacy of parliamentary data is poor user behaviour and non-compliance with rules, policies and best practice. Any new arrangements will be accompanied by refreshed guidance and a substantial awareness-raising campaign.
	Members can access current guidance via the ICT security pages on the parliamentary intranet. If the hon. Member has any particular issues that she would like to discuss, the Parliamentary Security Director would be happy to meet her.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Criminal Records Data (Romania and Bulgaria)

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she is taking to ensure that criminal records data held by (a) Romanian and (b) Bulgarian authorities are shared with UK authorities in order to combat serious organised crime.

Mark Harper: The UK is already able to secure information on previous convictions from Romania and Bulgaria under existing EU Council Framework Decisions. In addition, both Romania and Bulgaria have deployed officers to the UK to assist in providing information about offenders from their countries.

Animal Experiments

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many animals were used for experimentation in the UK in each of the last three years.

James Brokenshire: holding answer 25 October 2013
	There were 4.03 million animals used in scientific procedures in Great Britain in 2012 (most recent year for which data are available); 3.71 million were used in 2011, and 3.64 million were used in 2010.
	Northern Ireland statistics are published separately by the Northern Ireland Health, Social Services and Public Health Department. Statistics for 2012 will be published November/December 2013. There were 17,687 animals used in scientific procedures in Northern Ireland in 2011 and 17,668 were used in 2010.

Arrests

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been arrested but not charged with a qualifying offence in each of the last five years.

James Brokenshire: holding answer 24 October 2013
	The information requested is not collected centrally as the outcomes of arrests are not separately identifiable from data collected from police forces.

Capita

David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many texts sent by Capita on behalf of the Border Agency since May 2010 advising people of termination of their right to remain in the UK have subsequently been proven to have been sent in error.

Mark Harper: holding answer 18 October 2013
	Up to the end of quarter 2 of 2013, 143 (0.24%) complaints have been received by the Home Office and Capita out of the 58,800 people put into the contact process at that time. Of the 143 complaints received, Capita have accepted that 14 cases were contacted in error (0.024%).

Capita

David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the value was of the contract held by Capita with the UK Border Agency for managing text messaging to individuals who do not have leave to remain in the UK in each year since May 2010.

Mark Harper: holding answer 18 October 2013
	The contract between the Home Office and Capita Business Services was signed on 29 October 2012. The contract is for a minimum of four years, and the value of the contract is a maximum of £30 million over four years.

Deportation: Sri Lanka

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been removed to Sri Lanka under immigration law in each year since 2010-11; and what her policy is on immigration and the safety of Tamil people who are returned.

Mark Harper: holding answer 22 October 2013
	The following table shows the total numbers of enforced removals, refusals at port and voluntary departures to Sri Lanka from January 2010 to June 2013.
	
		
			 Year/quarter Total enforced removals Total refused entry at port and subsequently departed Total voluntary departures 
			 2010 136 68 404 
			 2011 378 30 495 
			 2012 364 38 662 
			 2013    
			 January to March 44 5 186 
			 April to June 2013 27 9 161 
		
	
	Data for July 2013 are not yet available, but quarterly data for July to September 2013 will be published as part of the regular Home Office publication scheme at the end of November.
	The Home Office publishes quarterly and annual statistics on the number of persons removed or departed voluntarily from the UK. Provided data are published as National Statistics.
	The data on removals and voluntary departures by destination are available in the latest release, Immigration Statistics: April to June 2013, tables rv_06 and rv_06_q from the Library of the House and from the Home Office Statistics home page at gov.uk:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-statistics-april-to-june-2013/immigration-statistics-april-to-june-2013#summary-points-april-to-june-2013
	The Home Office policy on the consideration of applications for protection from nationals of Sri Lanka is contained in the Operational Guidance Note (OGN) for Sri Lanka, published 31 July 2013. The OGN is available at:
	http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/policyandlaw/countryspecificasylumpolicyogns/
	The guidance reflects the findings of the Immigration and Asylum Chamber Upper Tribunal in the Sri Lanka country guidance case of GJ and Others, published 5 July 2013, and the UN High Commissioner tor Refugees Eligibility Guidelines for Assessing the International Protection Needs of Asylum Seekers from Sri Lanka, published December 2012.
	The tribunal identified new at risk categories for Sri Lankan nationals, but found that Tamils per se are not at risk. Each application for protection is considered on its individual merits against country information obtained from a wide range of sources.
	Returns are only undertaken when the Home Office and the courts have judged it safe to do so.

Entry Clearances: Appeals

Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many ECM reviews in (a) Pakistan, (b) India, (c) China, (d) Australia and (e) the US have been refused on the basis of staff shortages in each of the last five years;
	(2)  what assessment she has made of the proportion of ECM reviews which are not completed due to staff shortages.

Mark Harper: There are no statutory reviews of decisions that entry clearance managers (ECM) have to make.
	ECM reviews are used as a quality-assurance measure. Statistics regarding the number of ECM reviews that are ‘refused’ are not kept.
	ECM reviews are carried out in a number of different circumstances, including:
	dip-sampling of decided visa applications (operational guidance sets out the percentages of cases to be reviewed, using broad categories);
	when an appeal against a refusal decision has been received;
	if an MP has written to query a decision;
	when a complaint has been made;
	when certain the provisions of paragraph 320 of the immigration rules have been used to refuse an application (the ‘deception’ provisions of the rules).
	Depending upon the category of application, and whether the visa application has been approved or refused, ECMs currently review decisions in line with the following percentages:
	Non-settlement cases issued: 10%
	Settlement cases (issued or refused): 20%
	Points-based system cases refused: 2% (these cases have the right to an Administrative Review, which is carried out by an ECM)
	Non-settlement cases refused (not including PBS applications): 20%
	ECMs also target their reviews on new/temporary staff; cases where there has been a recent rules change; and once a quarter will undertake an unannounced review of all of the decisions that an entry clearance officer makes on a particular day. As an illustration of the numbers undertaken more recently, the following table shows global reviews for 2012-13.
	
		
			 Category Application volumes Issued volumes Refused volumes ECM reviews completed 
			 Settlement 59,507 37,194 21,235 36,686 
			 PBS 358,247 326,045 29,773 39,077 
			 Visit 2,058,103 1,777,748 266,865 268,436 
			 Note: The stats relate to main applicant and dependants. 
		
	
	My officials closely monitor application rates globally and staffing is reinforced if demand affects our ability to meet our internal quality assurance targets.

Entry Clearances: Overseas Students

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she is taking to ensure that students applying for visas for study in the UK are not unreasonably affected by fluctuations in foreign exchange rates.

Mark Harper: holding answer 17 October 2013
	Students are required to demonstrate that they have sufficient funds available to meet their living costs while they are in the UK. The precise amounts that they must have available are set out in the Immigration Rules. Where the funds are in one or more foreign currencies, the applicant must have the specified level of funds when converted to pound sterling using the spot exchange rate which appears on www.oanda.com for the 28-day period up to the date of application. Students may therefore check for themselves whether their funds are sufficient to meet the visa requirements, taking into account daily exchange rates, before submitting an application.

Entry Clearances: Overseas Students

Charles Kennedy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether she has any plans to introduce alterations to student visa requirements and administration as they affect potential students from India; and if she will make a statement.

Mark Harper: The Government has overhauled the student visa route with a package of measures designed to tackle abuse of the route while continuing to attract the brightest and best students to our world-class universities. This has resulted in the total number of student visas issued falling by a third since 2010, while visa applications from university students continue to increase. All genuine students with the right qualifications, sufficient funds to cover their fees and maintenance costs and a good level of English can come, with no annual limit on numbers. There are no plans to alter the requirements for students from India.

Firearms: Licensing

Steve Rotheram: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she will publish the estimated fees for the new e-commerce system for firearms licensing.

Damian Green: holding answer 25 October 2013
	The introduction of e-commerce does not mean there will be an automatic change in fees for firearms licensing. The e-commerce system is a police initiative which will make the firearms licensing process far more efficient and may have cost benefits. Once the system has been piloted in summer 2014 we will work with police to calculate the costs of the automated process and consider reviewing the fees accordingly.

Firearms: Smuggling

Steve Rotheram: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will make an estimate of the number of firearms illegally imported to the UK in each of the last five years.

Mark Harper: holding answer 22 October 2013
	The Home Office does not hold annual estimates of the number of firearms illegally imported into the UK. I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 15 October 2013, Official Report, column 645W, about illegal firearms seized upon arrival in the UK.

Gangmasters

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether she plans to extend Operation Endeavour, targeting illegal gangmasters, to the Peterborough City Council area; and if she will make a statement.

Mark Harper: holding answer 21 October 2013
	We welcome the robust action taken by Cambridgeshire Police in concert with the Gangmaster Licensing Authority, the National Crime Agency, Home Office Immigration Enforcement and other organisations to deal with exploitation in Wisbech, King's Lynn and March. The Home Office is working in partnership with other workplace and law enforcement organisations to co-ordinate multi-agency taskforce action against businesses committing labour market abuses involving migrant workers in other parts of the UK. I cannot comment specifically on where future police operations might take place.

Gilbert Deya

David Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the extradition of Gilbert Deya to Kenya.

Mark Harper: The Secretary of State is considering further representations from Mr Deya that extradition would breach his Convention rights. She will make a decision as soon as possible.

Illegal Immigrants

David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) telephone calls to 0207 9786399 and (b) texts of “home” to 78070 were (i) received and (ii) resulted in a removal following the recent 'go home or face arrest' advertising campaign.

Mark Harper: The pilot has had a great deal of interest. The effect of the pilot, including the number of individuals who contacted the Home Office and departed the UK, is the subject of an evaluation which will be published in due course.

Immigration

Clive Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she expects the Older Live Cases unit to make a decision on case J1102048; and if she will make a statement.

Mark Harper: holding answer 17 October 2013
	This case is currently with the Older Live Cases unit and will be reviewed within the next six months.

Immigration

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department What steps she is taking to reduce immigration.

Theresa May: The most recent statistics show that net migration is down by a third since its peak in 2010. Our tough policies continue to bring immigration back under control and we are committed to bringing net migration down from the hundreds of thousands to the tens of thousands.

Immigration Bill (Draft)

David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she will publish regulations associated with the draft immigration bill.

Mark Harper: holding answer 22 October 2013
	The Immigration Bill contains a number of measures to reform our immigration system, reforming the appeals system, making it easier to remove illegal migrants, ending the abuse of article 8 and preventing illegal migrants accessing services or the labour market. A number of measures in the Bill will require regulations to be produced before they could be brought into force, subject to the Bill completing its passage through Parliament. We aim to publish draft regulations or documents setting out the Government's intent before the relevant clauses are considered at Commons Committee stage.

Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006

David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) emails and (b) telephone calls have been received by the help desk operated by the UK Border Agency since May 2010 on employment enforcement under sections 15 to 25 of the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006.

Mark Harper: holding answer 22 October 2013
	Between 1 May 2010 and 30 September 2013, the Home Office received 186,220 e-mails to its Employer Checking Service (ECS) from employers seeking to establish a statutory excuse against a civil penalty. During this period there were 654,810 calls made to the Sponsorship and Employer Helpline. This helpline received inquiries regarding the prevention of illegal working as well as sponsorship queries. The figures for illegal working calls only is not available and could be obtained only at a disproportionate cost.
	Note:
	The figures quoted are not National Statistics but are based on provisional management information and may be subject to change.

Investigatory Powers Tribunal

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many complaints submitted to the Investigatory Powers Tribunal were deemed to be vexatious or without standing in (a) 2012 and (b) 2013; what definition of (i) standing and (ii) vexatious the Investigatory Powers Tribunal uses; and if she will make a statement.

James Brokenshire: The Investigatory Powers Tribunal regularly publishes statistics on the number of complaints submitted. The most recent information regarding the number of complaints made to the Tribunal in 2012 is set out on their website at:
	www.ipt-uk.com
	This states that in 2012 they carried forward 47 cases from 2011, received 168 new cases, completed 191 and carried forward 24 cases to 2013. Statistical information is not available on the number of frivolous (this is the term used in the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 rather than 'without standing') or vexatious complaints received by the Tribunal in 2012 and 2013.

Iraq: Iran

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 10 June 2013, Official Report, column 84W, on Iraq: Iran, what the current immigration status is of the 52 residents of Camp Ashraf and Camp Liberty who are seeking resettlement in the UK.

Mark Harper: None of the 52 residents of Camp Ashraf and Camp Liberty who were previously settled in the UK have any current immigration status here. We have agreed to consider, exceptionally, their re-admission as refugees, subject to a UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) assessment of each individual to ensure that none have been complicit in acts of terrorism or other activities incompatible with refugee status. Thus far, UNHCR have submitted 17 assessments to the Home Office. No decisions have yet been reached.

Jimmy Mubenga

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will adopt the three recommendations put forward by Citizens UK on enforced removals in the wake of Jimmy Mubenga's unlawful killing.

Mark Harper: holding answer 18 October 2013
	It is assumed that this question relates to the four National Independent Commission on Enforced Removals recommendations (NICER) in their second report of 21 December 2012.
	Home Office Immigration Enforcement has established the Complex and Scheduled Removals Team (CSRT) to consolidate the necessary skills to review complex cases and determine the most effective, humane and low risk method of return.
	The requirements stipulated by Home Office Immigration Enforcement for Detainee Custody Officers (DCOs) are higher than those of the Security Industry Authority for accreditation (SIA). There are therefore no plans to seek accreditation for DCOs from the SIA.
	Independent observers from HM Inspectorate of Prisons and from Independent Monitoring Boards (IMBs) already monitor a number of removal flights from the UK.
	The monitoring by observers from IMBs is being evaluated and decisions have yet to be made about the future arrangements for this type of monitoring.
	Restraint is used only as a last resort. All escorting staff are trained in the use of control and restraint techniques which are accredited by the National Offender Management Service (NOMS). We wish to retain the ability to use these techniques, in line with other law enforcement organisations, such as the police and prison service. We have asked NOMS to design a bespoke Home Office training package for overseas escorts. The Independent Advisory Panel on Non-Compliance Management were appointed to provide support in the development of this package and to provide independent advice to the Home Office on the quality and safety of the new package, in particular the use of restraint techniques.

Passports

Pamela Nash: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many people aged 85 or over have applied (a) for a new passport and (b) to renew their passport in the last 12 months for which figures are available;
	(2)  how many people at the minimum qualifying age and over have applied (a) for a new and (b) for the renewal of, a passport in each of the last five years.

Mark Harper: holding answer 24 October 2013
	The latest figures available from Her Majesty's Passport Office are for the calendar year 2012. In that year, people aged 85 or over applied for (a) 622 new passports and (b) 22,246 passport renewals.
	The number of people applying for new or renewal passports in the past five calendar years is shown in the following table:
	
		
			 Number of people applying for new or renewal passports, 2008-12 
			 Number 
			  2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 
			 Adult first time (16+) 681,406 613,980 607,412 605,442 600,066 
			 Child first time (0 to 15) 781,633 659,281 684,629 695,512 712,930 
			 Child renewal.(5 to 15) 799,691 917,899 1,017,770 998,357 957,276 
			 Adult renewal (16+) 2,954,166 2,829,018 3,056,392 2,997,754 3,006,247 
			       
			 Total 5,216,896 5,020,178 5,366,203 5,297,065 5,276,519

Police Numbers

Owen Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what change there has been in the number of police officers in (a) Wales and (b) each other nation and region of the UK since May 2010.

James Brokenshire: The following table contains data on the numerical and percentage change, for police officers in each English region and Wales, from 31 March 2010 (the closest month to May 2010 for which data is available) to 31 March 2013 (the most recent data). Figures for Scotland and Northern Ireland are a matter for the devolved Administrations.
	
		
			 Number of police officers by English regions and Wales (full-time equivalent)(1, 2, 3) 
			   Change 
			  Number of police officers as at: March 2010 to March 2013 
			 English regions and Wales March 2010 September 2010 March 2011 September 2011 March 2012 September 2012 March 2013 Number Percentage 
			 North East 7,419 7,301 7,189 6,967 6,813 6,707 6,575 -843 -11 
			 North West 19,707 19,306 18,795 18,407 18,041 17,708 17,445 -2,261 -11 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 12,254 12,102 11,835 11,530 11,249 11,095 10,970 -1,284 -10 
		
	
	
		
			 East Midlands 9,349 9,246 9,059 8,746 8,505 8,405 8,409 -940 -10 
			 West Midlands 14,151 13,853 13,398 13,074 12,808 12,544 12,337 -1,814 -13 
			 Eastern 11,361 11,318 11,079 10,832 10,649 10,475 'l 0,4/9 -882 -8 
			 London 34,219 33,778 33,319 32,510 32,970 32,243 31,172 -3,046 -9 
			 South East 17,072 16,897 16,688 16,505 16,220 16,059 15,859 -1,213 -7 
			 South West 10,834 10,701 10,460 10,149 9,906 9,720 9,504 -1,330 -12 
			 Wales 7,369 7,349 7,288 7,117 6,939 6,882 6,833 -536 -7 
			 (1) This table contains full-time equivalent figures that have been rounded to the nearest whole number. (2) These figures are published biannually within the Police Workforce, England and Wales publications (previously titled Police Service Strength, England and Wales). (3)Source: Home Office, using data received from police forces via the Annual Data Requirement.

Police Stations

Andy Sawford: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the role played by police stations in meeting the policing needs of large and growing towns.

James Brokenshire: Decisions about the most effective use of available resources, including the number and opening hours of police stations, are matters for chief constables and police and crime commissioners.
	Visibility, accessibility and confidence in policing are not about certain types of building. There are many good examples of forces doing far more with their money by finding new forms of public contact. These include the new non-emergency number 101, the internet, or contact in places such as supermarket surgeries, where more people can contact the police.

Sexual Offences

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many full-time equivalent officers were employed in each rank of the Metropolitan Police's Sapphire Command in each year since 2008.

Damian Green: The Home Office does not hold this information.

HEALTH

Air Pollution

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment his Department has made of the effect of air pollution on public health; and what steps the Government is taking to tackle this problem.

Jane Ellison: The main health impact of air pollution is the effect on mortality of long-term exposure to fine particulate matter. The Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollution estimated(1), on the basis of 2008 data, that fine particulate matter (measured as PM2.5) had an effect on the mortality of the United Kingdom population equivalent to 29,000 deaths in 2008.
	(1)Note:
	http://comeap.org.uk/documents/reports
	The Public Health Outcomes Framework(2) has an indicator of deaths attributable to long-term exposure to air pollution (measured as PM2.5) and this contains an estimate of the fraction of mortality attributable to fine particulate matter in 2010 for all upper tier and unitary authorities in England.
	(2)Note:
	www.phoutcomes.info/
	With regard to what steps the Government is taking to tackle this problem I refer the hon. Member to the written answer given by the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for Newbury (Richard Benyon), on 3 June 2013, Official Report, column 784W, to the hon. Member for West Ham (Lyn Brown).

Death: Weather

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to reduce excess winter deaths across the UK.

Jane Ellison: The Department, with Public Health England and NHS England, has developed annual Cold Weather Plans for England since 2011. The 2013 Cold Weather Plan for England was published on 25 October 2013, recommending actions to be taken throughout the year to reduce excess winter deaths, with specific actions during winter triggered by Met Office alerts. To encourage local public health action, excess winter deaths is also an indicator in the Public Health Outcomes Framework, which is designed to help local authorities prioritise public health issues in their local area.
	The Department, working with Public Health England and NHS England, is urging people who are offered the flu vaccine, including those who are most at risk, and all two and three-year-olds (as of 1 September 2013) to protect themselves from flu this winter by ensuring they get vaccinated against the flu virus. For the first time, a nasal spray vaccine will be offered to healthy two and three-year-old children, as their close contact with each other means that they are more likely to transmit the virus to other vulnerable groups—including infants and older people.
	The Department is also investing £500 million in NHS England over the next two years to make sure that accident and emergency departments are prepared for the inevitable winter pressures.
	The Department works with other Government Departments and local government to reduce the health impacts of cold weather, demonstrated in the 'Get Ready For Winter' website, hosted by the Met Office, which contains advice on all aspects of winter preparedness.

Genito-urinary Medicine

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of waiting times for accessing sexual health services.

Jane Ellison: The Department does not collect waiting times for sexual health services.
	Local authorities (LAs) have been responsible for commissioning most sexual health services since 1 April 2013. How these services are provided is for LAs to determine, but the Department's Sexual Health Improvement Framework (published March 2013) highlights the importance of providing rapid access to confidential, open-access, integrated sexual health services in a range of settings, accessible at convenient times. There are a number of tools available to local authorities, including advice and support from Public Health England, to help them to improve access in their local areas.

Health Education: Greater Manchester

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the total (a) expenditure on consultants to date and (b) budget is for the Greater Manchester Healthier Together project.

Jane Ellison: This information is not collected centrally. The reconfiguration of health services is a matter for the national health service locally.
	This information should be obtained from NHS commissioners in Greater Manchester.

Health Services: Foreign Nationals

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people treated for injuries related to (a) female genital mutilation and (b) domestic violence in 2012-13 were in the UK (i) illegally and (ii) as short-term visitors at the time of their treatment; and what provision he plans to make for such cases under the proposed new charging scheme for NHS treatment.

Jane Ellison: Although the Health and Social Care Information Centre collects hospital episode statistics, there is currently no central coding of domestic violence or female genital mutilation in respect of healthcare or treatments, nor do these contain information about the patient's residency, nationality or migration status.
	The Department is considering responses to its recent consultation “Sustaining services, ensuring fairness: A consultation on migrant access and their financial contribution to NHS provision in England” and will respond shortly.

Medicine: Education

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy to ensure that the number of places for medical undergraduates at UK universities is sufficient to meet the annual recruitment needs of the NHS for such graduates.

Jane Ellison: In England periodical reviews are carried out to determine the appropriate level of medical school intakes. The last such review was published in December 2012. A further review will be undertaken by Health Education England in due course.

University College Hospital

Tessa Munt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 15 October 2013, Official Report, columns 702-3W, on health services, 
	(1)  for what reasons NHS England refuses to allow treatment at University College London Hospital when the service is available on site;
	(2)  whether patients awaiting treatment recommended by their clinicians for more than 18 weeks due to delays in commissioners agreeing funding have the legal right to insist that they are treated after that deadline has passed.

Jane Ellison: From 1 April 2013, NHS England became responsible for commissioning all Stereotactic Radiosurgery (SRS) and Stereotactic Radiosurgery Radiotherapy (SRT) services. Brain tumour patients requiring such services may access treatment from any provider with whom NHS England holds a contract for provision of such a service. University College London Hospital does not hold such a contract.
	NHS England is undertaking a demand, and capacity review project for SRS and SRT for intracranial conditions. Until those capacity requirements are clear, NHS England has said it would be inappropriate to encourage new. market entrants to provide this service as it cannot be clear what the potential consequential impacts on service quality, sustainability (financial and clinical) and potential unintended changes to patient pathways will be. Until the review is complete no substantive changes will be made to the current provision.
	No one should expect to wait more than 18 weeks from the time they are referred to the start of their non-emergency consultant-led treatment, unless it is clinically appropriate to do so or they choose to wait longer. Where the 18 week waiting time has not been met, the relevant commissioner has a duty to take all reasonable steps to ensure that person is offered an appointment with a range of alternative providers where the patient requests this.

EDUCATION

Child Minding

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many childminders have been registered in (a) Harlow, (b) the East of England and (c) England in the last 10 years.

Elizabeth Truss: This question is a matter for Ofsted. HM Chief Inspector, Sir Michael Wilshaw, has written to the hon. Member, and a copy of his response has been placed in the House Libraries.

Energy

Christopher Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what costs were incurred by his Department's estate in respect of (a) gas and (b) electricity supply in the 2012-13 financial year.

Elizabeth Truss: The Department's estate incurred £363,648 in respect of gas and £2,371,598 in respect of electricity supply in the 2012-13 financial year.

Free Schools: Yorkshire and the Humber

Nicholas Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether he has concerns about the performance of any free schools in Yorkshire and the Humber.

Edward Timpson: There are 12 free schools currently open in the Yorkshire and the Humber region. Three of these have had an Ofsted Section 5 inspection and none were judged to be inadequate. Only one of the schools currently has attainment data as a free school and is performing well above the floor standard and above the national average.
	The Education Funding Agency has also reviewed the financial management and governance arrangements of the Kings Science Academy in Bradford and plans are in place to address the issues raised.

Priority School Building Programme

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proportion of schools have had building works commence on site under his Department's Priority Schools Building Programme since that programme was announced.

David Laws: This Government is spending £18 billion on school buildings, more than the last government's first two Parliaments combined. Over 280 schools have been built or refurbished under this Government—projects where construction started after May 2010 and the schools are now open.
	Before building works can begin, plans must be drawn up, contracts negotiated and planning permission secured.
	Under Building Schools for the Future (BSF) it took three years from first planning for building works to begin. We have cut this to one year under the Priority School Building Programme (PSBP).
	Planning work has started with over 200 of the 261 schools in the PSBP, of which construction has started on 11 schools. Had this Government continued with the BSF arrangements, none of these projects would have started yet and it would have been another 18 months before construction began.
	We are on track to complete all PSPB schools by the end of 2017. This is two years earlier than was planned when the programme was announced.

Priority School Building Programme

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proportion of schools have had work commence under his Department's Priority Schools Building Programme since that programme was announced.

David Laws: I refer the hon. Member to parliamentary question number 170559, answered today.

Sign Language: Education

Ben Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the availability of sign language courses for families with deaf children in (a) Devon and (b) England.

Edward Timpson: Local authorities have clear duties to support children with special educational needs (SEN). It is for them to plan and deliver the necessary services for children within their area. The Department for Education does not collect information on the specific activity that they support.
	The Department for Education is funding the “I-Sign” consortium to increase the availability of family sign language support, and to map the current provision for deaf children and their families. This work will support the Government's reforms of the SEN system and will provide information to parents of young people on the local availability of sign language support.
	The “I-Sign” project was piloted in two regions, including the South West (based in Exeter), between 2009 and 2011. During this period, and with funding from the Department for Education, it developed an online family sign language programme(1).
	(1) www.familysignlanguage.org.uk

Sign Language: Education

Ben Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will include information and guidelines on the importance of communication and sign language courses for families with deaf children in his Department's special educational needs code of practice.

Edward Timpson: The Department for Education does not intend to include detailed guidance on support for specific needs in the special educational needs (SEN) Code of Practice. Local authorities need to identify and provide support based on individual circumstances, with the full involvement of families or young people.
	The draft Code, published for consultation on 4 October 2013, includes general information and links to further guidance that will support local authorities with the reforms. This includes information from the Early Support programme on early communication for deaf children, including sign language and support for families.
	It also includes information on the National Sensory Impairment Partnership (NatSIP). The Department for Education is funding NatSIP to enable local authorities to benchmark the support that they offer to deaf children and their families and to share information and guidelines on improving the support available.

DEFENCE

Armed Forces: Post-traumatic Stress Disorder

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessment he has made of the use of mindfulness in treating post traumatic stress disorder.

Anna Soubry: "Mindfulness" is a generic term covering a range of psychotherapeutic treatments and interventions. Among these, Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy is recognised by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence as effective for the treatment of mental health disorders such as recurrent depression, and recent research suggests that some mindfulness-based techniques may be helpful in treating post-traumatic stress disorder, alongside established techniques such as Trauma Focussed Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing. The "Surgeon General's Review of Mental Health Literature 2011-12" includes an entry on "mindfulness" research, and it is planned to deliver training in mindfulness-based techniques to Defence Medical Services mental health personnel.

Defence: Procurement

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of expenditure on defence procurement contracts valued in excess of £5 million was placed with UK-based small and medium-sized enterprises in each of the last three years.

Philip Dunne: The Ministry of Defence has published details of expenditure with small and medium-sized enterprises over the last three years, this is available at the following link:
	http://www.dasa.mod.uk/index.php/publications/finance-and-economics/MOD-contracting-with-small-and-medium-sized-enterprises/financial-year-2012-13
	Information specifically related to contracts with a value over £5 million is, however, not separately identified. This information will take additional time to collate and I will write to the hon. Member.

Defence: Procurement

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he has taken to ensure that UK-based small and medium-sized enterprises are able to access contracts in the defence procurement supply chain in the last 12 months.

Philip Dunne: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) set out its commitment to improving engagement with small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the ‘National Security Through Technology’ White Paper, which details a range of measures aimed at increasing the value of defence business going to SMEs.
	Examples of the practical steps we are taking include standardising and simplifying our procurement systems; we recently introduced a Dynamic Pre-Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ), which should reduce the length of the contract award procedure by 30 days, and is supporting the Government's aim of minimising the use of PQQ for the lowest value procurements.
	We have also increased the level of direct access that SMEs have to the MOD through, for example, the Defence Suppliers SME Forum, which I chair, and next meets on 5 November. This gives SMEs an opportunity to raise issues and ask questions directly of Ministers and senior MOD officials. Within our supply chain, we are actively encouraging our Prime Contractors to improve their engagement with SMEs, and we regularly seek data on the level of sub-contract work that is going to smaller companies.
	Progress on these and our other SME initiatives is regularly monitored and published in the MOD SME Action plan, which can be accessed via gov.uk at the following link:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/defence-business-plan-small-and-medium-sized-enterprises

Gibraltar

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many submarines of (a) the Royal Navy, (b) the US Navy and (c) other navies have docked at the Z-berth at Gibraltar since 2001.

Mark Francois: The following table shows the number of submarines that used the operational berth, formally the Z-berth, in Gibraltar in each of the calendar years 2001 to 2012. The figure for 2013 is the number of visits up to 22 October.
	
		
			  Royal Navy US navy Other navies 
			 2001 1 4 0 
			 2002 0 0 0 
			 2003 2 3 0 
			 2004 3 1 0 
			 2005 3 0 0 
			 2006 1 1 0 
			 2007 3 2 0 
			 2008 1 4 0 
			 2009 0 0 0 
			 2010 0 1 0 
			 2011 0 2 0 
			 2012 0 1 0 
			 2013 5 0 0 
			 Total 19 19 0

Libya

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will provide details of the work of the Defence Advisory Team in Tripoli.

Mark Francois: The Defence Advisory Team in Tripoli works to support the UK/Libya relationship and provide advice through a number of embedded advisers in the Libyan Ministry of Defence, Navy, Air Force, Land Forces and Border Security Force. There is also a senior disarmament adviser working with the Government of Libya, the UN and international partners on disarmament issues.
	The team also provides the platform for short term training teams enabling a variety of capacity building programmes including: strategic communication, developing explosive ordnance disposal schools, supporting the creation of a joint operational planning capability, and naval training teams.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Bus Services: Concessions

Therese Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the amount (a) received from the Government and (b) reimbursed to bus operators by local authorities for statutory concessionary bus passes in the last year for which figures are available.

Stephen Hammond: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Department for Transport.
	The funding is part of the Local Government Finance Settlement and it is not possible to say how much grant is provided for any particular service. Councils have the freedom and flexibility to make spending decisions in line with their local needs and priorities.
	In 2012-13, local authorities in England paid £906 million reimbursement to bus operators for concessionary travel by older and disabled people—this figure includes some discretionary as well as statutory elements. For further details, the relevant published table is BUS0830a which can be found at the following link:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/concessionary-travel-statistics-2012-13

Councillors

Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  how much has been distributed in pay and pensions to councillors across the UK in each of the last three years;
	(2)  what the range of payments for pay and pensions to councillors across the UK was in each of the last three years.

Brandon Lewis: My Department does not hold this information.
	The Taxpayers' Alliance compiled a survey on councillor allowances and councillor pensions in August 2012, which can be found on their website at:
	http://www.taxpayersalliance.com/allowances.pdf
	Every council is required to publish information yearly about their spending on councillor allowances.

Parish Councils

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what measures are available to parish and town councils and their residents to prevent such councils not being reimbursed for work done by them on behalf of the relevant unitary or district council.

Brandon Lewis: Under section 101 of the Local Government Act 1972, a local authority can arrange for the discharge of its functions by another local authority, including a town or parish council. This is a local authority power and the parties should make suitable terms for the arrangements. If a contract is made then the courts can enforce compliance and payment.

Telephone Services

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what his Department's policy is on the use of geographical telephone numbers to allow the public to contact his Department.

Brandon Lewis: Each of the principle access numbers operated by the Department and its agencies (the Planning Inspectorate and the Homes and Communities Agency) are 030 numbers.
	030 numbers were specifically designed for not-for-profit organisations, charities and public sector bodies to offer consumers a single point of contact nationally. Calls cost no more than calls to geographic (01 and 02) numbers and are included in inclusive minutes and discount schemes in the same way.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Trident

Kevan Jones: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to the answer of 2 September 2013, Official Report, column 6W, on Trident, what the costs were of publishing and distributing the Government's Trident Alternatives Review.

Danny Alexander: I have been asked to reply 
	as the Minister responsible for the Trident Alternatives Review.
	The costs of the review were met from within existing departmental budgets; this includes the cost of publication and distribution of the review.

Trident

Kevan Jones: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to the answer of 2 September 2013, Official Report, column 6W, on Trident, if he will publish (a) timesheets for each of the officials listed as working on the Trident Alternatives Review and (b) the salary and grade of each such official.

Danny Alexander: I have been asked to reply 
	as the Minister responsible for the Trident Alternatives Review.
	The team within the Cabinet Office coordinating the review consisted of two full-time staff and a senior civil servant.
	Experts of various grades and military ranks, primarily from the Ministry of Defence and Foreign and Commonwealth Office provided advice on an as-required basis.
	The ranks/grades of those experts and their time spent on consultation are not held centrally.

JUSTICE

Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Bill

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent assessment she has made of the potential effects of the judgment by the European Court of Human Rights in the case of Allen v. UK 2013 on the legislative proposals set out in Clause 143 of the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Bill.

Shailesh Vara: In its decision in the case of Allen v. UK, the European Court of Human Rights accepted that not every person acquitted of an offence is entitled to be compensated, with which we of course agree, and concluded that, provided the language used in declining an application to pay compensation does not cast doubt on the innocence of the applicant, the presumption of innocence is respected. We do not believe that there is any conflict between this view and clause 143 of the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Bill. The proposed new test for determining eligibility for compensation does not require the applicant to demonstrate his or her innocence. It focuses on the new fact which led the conviction to be quashed, and whether this new fact shows conclusively that there was a miscarriage of justice.

Children: Abuse

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what progress his Department has made on its review of the criminal law covering child neglect; and whether he will report its findings before 22 November 2013.

Damian Green: I have asked my officials to undertake a targeted consultation with the relevant experts to explore the adequacy of the existing offence of child cruelty.
	I have asked them to report to me before the end of the year.

Children: Abuse

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many cases of child abuse were brought before the courts in 2012-13; and how many such cases resulted in a custodial sentence.

Damian Green: Child abuse spans a wide range of harmful behaviour which can be prosecuted under a number of different criminal offences. Of those found guilty, a higher proportion are given immediate custodial sentences now than in 2010.
	The Government is absolutely committed to keeping children and young people safe from all forms of abuse and to doing everything we can to prevent the horrific crime of child abuse.
	That is why the Prime Minister has asked me to lead the work of the National Group into Sexual Violence Against Children and Vulnerable People, bringing together a panel of experts from across Government, delivery agencies, the police and voluntary sector experts. The group will co-ordinate and implement the learning from recent inquiries into historical sexual abuse and current sexual exploitation cases and issues around sexual violence more widely, including child abuse.
	I launched a progress report and action plan at a stakeholder summit on 24 July, together with early findings into multi-agency safeguarding approaches. These work to help local areas to put in place more effective arrangements to help victims and prevent abuse happening in the first place.
	
		
			 Defendants proceeded against at magistrates court, and offenders found guilty and sentenced at all courts for child abuse offences(1), England and Wales, 2008-12(2,3) 
			 Outcome 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 
			 Proceeded against 3,213 4,218 4,575 4,349 4,025 
			 Found guilty 2,304 2,454 2,706 2,727 2,579 
			 Sentenced 2,287 2,419 2,674 2,695 2,534 
			 of which:      
			 Absolute discharge 2 6 2 4 3 
			 Conditional discharge 41 54 54 35 42 
			 Fine 4 5 5 5 2 
			 Community sentence 663 729 808 797 646 
			 Suspended sentence 317 361 375 365 366 
			 Immediate custody 1,230 1,230 1,396 1,452 1,436 
			 Otherwise dealt with 30 34 34 37 39 
			       
			 Proportion found guilty given custody 53% 50% 52% 53% 56% 
			 (1) Includes offences against children under SS. 5-19, 25-26, 47-50 Sexual Offences Act 2003, S27 Offences against the Person Act 1861, and S1 Children and Young Persons Act 1933. (2) The figures given in the table relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences, it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (3) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services—Ministry of Justice.

Courts: Hearing Impairment

Stephen Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of support available to deaf people during court appearances.

Shailesh Vara: Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) recognises the importance of removing the barriers that D/deaf and hearing impaired people face, where they might otherwise be at a substantial disadvantage compared to the way others access services.
	HMCTS regularly reviews and updates its internal guidance and training to ensure that the legal requirements of the Equality Act 2010 are met. Examples of support available include the provision of hearing systems in some courts, or providing British Sign Language interpreters, lip speakers or speech to text reporters on request.

Criminal Proceedings: Complaints

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people complained about any element of the performance of the criminal justice system in 2009-10 and 2011-12.

Damian Green: Complaints about the performance of the criminal justice system in 2009-10 and 2011-12 are not held centrally by any one agency.
	The information held by the Ministry of Justice about complaints is given as follows, broken down by agency:
	Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunal Service (HMCTS)
	HMCTS publish figures on the number of administrative complaints received in annual reports, which are available on the Ministry of Justice website at the address
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/corporate-reports/hmcts
	The complaint figures are not broken down to identify complaints against criminal court jurisdictions.
	Office for Judicial Complaints
	The annual reports for the Office for Judicial Complaints show that they dealt with 1,571 complaints for the financial year 2009-10 and 1,615 complaints for the financial year 2011-12.
	National Offender Management Service (NOMS)
	NOMS do not collate central figures about the number of complaints made concerning the performance of Her Majesty's Prison Service or Probation Trusts.
	Prisoners and those under the supervision of probation services can make complaints to the Prison and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) if they are unhappy with their treatment. For the financial year 2009-10 the PPO received 4,538 complaints and for the financial year 2011-12 the PPO received 5,159 complaints.

Criminal Proceedings: Wales

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent discussions he has had with the (a) Police and Crime Commissioner for North Wales and (b) the Chief Constable of North Wales on the delivery of criminal justice in North Wales.

Damian Green: The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, my right hon. Friend the Member for Epsom and Ewell (Chris Grayling), has not met with the Police and Crime Commissioner for North Wales and the Chief Constable of North Wales.
	However, the Secretary of State did meet with the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners on 10 September, and I meet regularly with police and crime commissioners to discuss criminal justice issues. The Department publishes quarterly transparency data on meetings between Ministers and all external organisations on the .gov.uk website.

Enduring Power of Attorney

Nigel Adams: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, under the Mental Health Act 1983, if a sole property owner lost mental capacity and had not made an Enduring Power of Attorney, who could lawfully administer their property and affairs.

Shailesh Vara: This issue would fall to the Court of Protection. The Court of Protection deals with some of the most vulnerable people in society and it is responsible for making decisions about the personal health, finance and welfare on behalf of people who do not have the mental capacity to decide for themselves. It can also appoint deputies to act on behalf of people who are unable to make decisions about their personal health, finance or welfare.
	Previously, under Part VII of the Mental Health Act 1983, if a sole property owner lost mental capacity and had not made an Enduring Power of Attorney, an application would have been made to the Court to appoint a 'receiver' to lawfully administer the individual's property and affairs. The Court would listen to all the necessary representations before making the decision in the best interest of a person who lacks capacity. Receivers could be members of the individual's family or legal professionals.
	If, however, the property was subject to a legal charge, most mortgage deeds include the power for the lender to appoint a receiver under the Law of Property Act 1925. The powers of a receiver appointed under this Act extend only to the property over which the legal charge was made and not to the individual who is the borrower. On 1 October 2007, the Mental Capacity Act 2005 was implemented, repealing Part VII of the Mental Health Act 1983 and creating a new jurisdiction for the Court of Protection, as well as introducing 'deputies'—the new name for receivers. If a similar situation arose today, an application would be made to the Court under the Mental Capacity Act 2005, to appoint a deputy.

Energy

Christopher Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what costs were incurred by his Department's estate in respect of (a) gas and (b) electricity supply in the 2012-13 financial year.

Shailesh Vara: In the 2012-13 financial year the Department spent £27,681,300.81 on gas and £43,221,333.66 on electricity across its entire estate.

Human Trafficking: Victim Support Schemes

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the (a) nationality and (b) gender was of each suspected victim of trafficking referred to the Trafficking Victim Support Scheme operated by the Salvation Army in August 2013; in which (i) region, (ii) county and (iii) parliamentary constituency each of the suspected victims was found; and which agency referred each case to the scheme.

Damian Green: In August 2013 there were 59 referrals to the Government-funded support service for adult victims of human trafficking in England and Wales administered by The Salvation Army. In the interests of victim safety only the region in which the victim was encountered is provided, and not the county or parliamentary constituency. Details are as follows:
	
		
			 Nationality Gender Region Agency type 
			 Albanian Female South East Self referral 
			 Albanian Female North West Home Office 
			 Albanian Female West Midlands Home Office 
			 Albanian Female Yorkshire Home Office 
			 Albanian Female South East Home Office 
			 Albanian Female Yorkshire NGO 
			 Albanian Female East Midlands Police 
		
	
	
		
			 Albanian Female South East NGO 
			 Albanian Female South Police 
			 British Male South East NGO 
			 British Female South West UKHTC 
			 British Female South East Police 
			 Bulgarian Male South Police 
			 Bulgarian Male South Police 
			 Chinese Male Yorkshire Home Office 
			 Chinese Female Wales NGO 
			 Chinese Male South East Legal representative 
			 Chinese Female South East Legal representative 
			 Congolese Female South East Prison 
			 Czech Female South West Police 
			 Czech Male Yorkshire NGO 
			 Czech Female South East NGO 
			 Czech Male Yorkshire Police 
			 Ghanaian Male South East NGO 
			 Ghanaian Female Yorkshire Home Office 
			 Ghanaian Female South East Health services 
			 Hungarian Male Yorkshire NGO 
			 Hungarian Female Yorkshire Police 
			 Hungarian Male Yorkshire Police 
			 Hungarian Male Yorkshire Police 
			 Hungarian Female Yorkshire NGO 
			 Hungarian Female Yorkshire Police 
			 Kenyan Male Yorkshire Home Office 
			 Laotian Trans-gender East Midlands Home Office 
			 Lithuanian Male South East Police 
			 Lithuanian Male South East Police 
			 Lithuanian Female South East Police 
			 Nigerian Female South East Local authority 
			 Nigerian Female South East Other 
			 Nigerian Female South East NGO 
			 Nigerian Female South East Legal representative 
			 Nigerian Female South East NGO 
			 Polish Female South East UKHTC 
			 Polish Female West Midlands Police 
			 Romanian Male South Police 
			 Romanian Female Wales NGO 
			 Romanian Male South East Police 
			 Slovakian Female South West Self referral 
			 Slovakian Male North East Self referral 
			 Slovakian Female Yorkshire Police 
			 Ugandan Female Yorkshire NGO 
			 Ugandan Female South East Self referral 
			 Vietnamese Male South West Legal representative 
			 Vietnamese Female Yorkshire Home Office 
			 Vietnamese Female Yorkshire Home Office 
			 Vietnamese Male South East NGO 
			 Vietnamese Male West Midlands Home Office 
			 Vietnamese Male East Midlands Legal representative 
			 Vietnamese Male East Midlands Legal representative

Legal Ombudsman

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what criteria he used to decide on the deadline for complaints to the Legal Ombudsman; and if he will make a statement.

Shailesh Vara: It is not for the Lord Chancellor to determine the time limits for the Legal Ombudsman.
	The Legal Ombudsman was established in October 2010. In 2012 the Office for Legal Complaints (OLC) undertook a review of its scheme rules and consulted on proposed changes, including extending time limits. As a result of this review, the OLC recommended changes to the time limits for people complaining to the Legal Ombudsman.
	In making their recommendation, the OLC considered their experience of complaints. They found that existing time limits were very restrictive and only allowed the Legal Ombudsman to accept cases which exceeded the relatively tight time limits under exceptional circumstances. Often, people had legitimate but not exceptional reasons for not complaining within the existing time limits.
	In addition, the OLC considered it appropriate to harmonise the Legal Ombudsman's time limits as much as possible with the courts and other ombudsman schemes, particularly the Financial Ombudsman Service.
	As a result, changes to the scheme rules, including extending time limits, were recommended by the OLC and approved by the Legal Services Board (LSB) and Lord Chancellor. The Lord Chancellor in line with the Legal Services Act 2007 requirements is required to approve changes made under section 136 (charges payable by respondents) only. The LSB are able to approve a rule change for altering time limits. In deciding to approve the other details of the scheme rules changes such as the removal of the free case fees the Lord Chancellor considered the details of the recommendation and LSB approval.

Performance Appraisal

Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what proportion of (a) disabled and (b) all other staff employed by his Department received each level of performance rating in their end of year performance assessment for 2012-13.

Shailesh Vara: The Ministry of Justice, across its business areas, is working to ensure that equality of opportunity and diversity are a normal part of everyday business. As an employer, the Ministry aims to ensure that its policies are fair and accessible to all, and as a provider of services, that this is done in a way that complies with the aims of the public sector equality duty in the Equality Act 2010.
	The information requested on performance markings for 2012-13 for disabled and all other staff employed by the Ministry of Justice is not yet available. This information will be published in the Ministry of Justice Diversity Report 2012-13 in the first quarter of 2014, excluding the Legal Aid Agency, whose functions were performed by a non-departmental public body (the Legal Services Commission) in the reporting year 2012-13.

Prison Service

Steve Rotheram: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prison staff are currently employed in prisons in England run by G4S.

Jeremy Wright: The information requested is not collected centrally and could not be obtained within the timescale. I will write to the hon. Member in due course.

Prisons: Closures

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how much in annual running costs his Department expects to save by closing (a) HMP Blundeston, (b) HMP Reading, (c) HMP Dorchester, (d) HMP The Verne and (e) HMP Northallerton;
	(2)  when the last prisoners will leave (a) HMP Blundeston, (b) HMP Reading, (c) HMP Dorchester, (d) HMP The Verne and (e) HMP Northallerton.

Jeremy Wright: The anticipated annual running costs saved by the Ministry of Justice following the closure of HMPs Blundeston, Dorchester, Northallerton, Reading and The Verne are set out in the following table:
	
		
			 Prison Running costs (£ million) 
			 Blundeston 10.7 
			 Dorchester 6.4 
			 Northallerton 5.5 
			 Reading 8.0 
			 The Verne 11.0 
		
	
	The Verne is being re-roled as an immigration removal centre and will open early in 2014. The income the Ministry of Justice will receive from the Home Office to provide this function will reduce the net running costs by around £11 million annually. We anticipate that all prisoners will have left these establishments by 31 December 2013.

Prisons: Education

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many hours of education per week young people are receiving in each prison and young offenders' institution.

Jeremy Wright: We are currently collating the requested data. I will write to the hon. Member as soon as possible.

Protection from Harassment Act 1997

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many judges in England and Wales have been given training on sections 2A and 4A of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997.

Damian Green: The responsibility for judicial training lies with the Lord Chief Justice as head of the judiciary and is exercised through the Judicial College. The Judicial College provides regular updates to judges on significant changes to the law via a jurisdictional electronic internal newsletter and did so in respect of these provisions in June 2012.

BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

Apprentices

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many (a) men and (b) women aged (i) 16 to 18 years old and (ii) 19 years and above started an apprenticeship in (A) 2010-11, (B) 2011-12 and (C) 2012-13.

Matthew Hancock: Table 1 shows the number of Apprenticeship programme starts by age and gender. Final data are shown for 2010/11 and 2011/12 and provisional data are shown for the 2012/13 academic years.
	
		
			 Table 1: Apprenticeship programme starts by age and gender, 2010/11 to 2012/13 (provisional) 
			 Age Gender 2010/11 full year 2011/12 full year 2012/13 full year (provisional) 
			 Under 19 Male 74,400 73,300 61,300 
			  Female 57,300 56,500 50,400 
			      
			 19+ Male 136,800 171,000 162,800 
			  Female 188,700 219,700 220,600 
			 Notes: 1. Volumes are rounded to the nearest 100. 2. Age is based on age at the start of the Apprenticeship programme. Source: Individualised Learner Record

Apprentices

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many apprentice assessors there were in each year for which figures are available since April 2010.

Matthew Hancock: Assessment of apprenticeships in terms of competence and technical knowledge is carried out by awarding organisations and training providers. We do not hold information on the number of assessors employed to carry out this role.

Copyright

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 4 September 2013, Official Report, column 395W, on copyright, what information his Department holds on (a) which countries which have introduced private copying exceptions and (b) which such countries have introduced more broadly defined exceptions which meet the criteria set out in options 2 and 3 of his Department’s impact assessment.

Jo Swinson: Various reports and studies have been published setting out the national laws of other EU member states implementing the copyright directive. An overview of research, case law and legislation has been compiled by the University of Amsterdam’s Institute for Information Law and is available in English at:
	http://www.ivir.nl/files/implementation_2001_29_EC/index_eng.html
	This website includes a link to a paper by the Queen Mary Intellectual Property Research Institute, which sets out which countries’ private copying exceptions permit the sharing of copies among friends and family, and which countries have wider exceptions, for instance permitting copying from illegal sources.
	Since the website was last updated, there have been developments in domestic and EU case law as well as in national legislation, which are also available on public record.

Electronic Surveillance: Exports

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what discussions Ministers or officials of his Department, including the UK Export Control Organisation, have had with their EU counterparts on the unlicensed export of intrusion software from UK-based companies.

Michael Fallon: The Export Control Organisation in BIS is responsible for strategic export control legislation and for assessing export licences for strategic goods against the consolidated EU and national arms export licensing criteria. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) are responsible for the enforcement of strategic export controls and for conducting investigations where unlicensed exports may have occurred. Questions relating to unlicensed exports should properly be directed to HMRC.

Electronic Surveillance: Exports

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what discussions (a) he, (b) Ministers, (c) officials in his Department and (d) the UK Export Control Organisation has had with their EU counterparts on the unlicensed export of Finfisher intrusion software from the UK.

Michael Fallon: Neither I, my BIS ministerial colleagues nor my officials have discussed with our EU counterparts the unlicensed export of Finfisher intrusion software from the UK. The Export Control Organisation in BIS is responsible for strategic export control legislation and for assessing export licences for strategic goods against the consolidated EU and national arms export licensing criteria. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) are responsible for the enforcement of strategic export controls and for conducting investigations where unlicensed exports may have occurred. Questions relating to unlicensed exports should properly be directed to HMRC.

Energy

Christopher Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what costs were incurred by his Department’s estate in respect of (a) gas and (b) electricity supply in the 2012-13 financial year.

Jo Swinson: The following costs were incurred by the Department in respect of gas and electricity supply in the 2012-13 financial year:
	
		
			  £ 
			 Gas 326,545 
			 Electricity 1,376,515

Higher Education: Admissions

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the evidential basis is for the identification of certain A-level subjects as facilitating subjects that increase a university applicant's chances of success.

David Willetts: Facilitating subjects are a group of subjects that the Russell group of universities identified in their Informed Choices publication that are usually considered to be helpful and/or required for particular courses at their universities. This openness and transparency by universities can help applicants and advisers understand the prior qualifications needed or preferred by applicants to specific courses.
	Universities are independent and autonomous organisations and as such are responsible for their own admissions decisions.

Minimum Wage

Bob Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to ensure that employers comply with minimum wage legislation.

Jo Swinson: The Government is committed to the national minimum wage and its effective enforcement. We are absolutely clear that anyone entitled to be paid the minimum wage should receive it.
	The Government is taking a multi-pronged approach that includes targeted communications to raise awareness and help employers to comply, as well as targeted enforcement action with civil and criminal proceedings reserved for the most serious cases.
	HMRC investigates every complaint made through the free and confidential pay and work rights helpline. In addition, HMRC conducts risk-based enforcement in sectors or areas, where there is a higher risk of workers not getting paid the legal minimum wage. If HMRC investigates an employer that is breaking NMW law, the employer will have to pay back the arrears owed to workers, face a financial penalty and be publicly named and shamed under the NMW Naming scheme.
	HMRC’s work is producing results: in 2012/13 HMRC identified £3.9 million in arrears of wages for 26,519 workers.
	Anyone who thinks they have not been paid the minimum wage that they might be entitled to should call the pay and work rights helpline on 0800 917 2368 for free, confidential advice. Information available at:
	https://www.gov.uk/pay-and-work-rights-helpline

New Businesses

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many (a) men and (b) women have benefited from the Start-Up Loans Scheme in each month since January 2012.

Matthew Hancock: The following start-up loans have been drawn down to (a) men and (b) women since September 2012. No loans were made before this date.
	
		
			  Number of loans to: 
			  Men Women 
			 2012   
			 September 4 5 
			 October 11 11 
			 November 44 27 
			 December 58 51 
			    
			 2013   
			 January 140 64 
			 February 303 149 
			 March 565 331 
			 April 595 330 
			 May 617 373 
			 June 521 303 
			 July 694 353 
			 August 557 315 
			 September 456 280 
			 October 267 176

Regional Growth Fund

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many winning bidders under round two of the Regional Growth Fund have not yet received a final agreed offer; and what the monetary value is of each such bid.

Michael Fallon: holding answer 25 October 2013
	There are no bids that have not yet received a final offer and therefore the monetary value is zero.

Regional Growth Fund

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many businesses owned by (a) men and (b) women have received grants from the Regional Growth Fund to date.

Michael Fallon: The information requested is not collected.

Royal Mail

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 21 October 2013, Official Report, column 49W, on Royal Mail, whether the refund of application monies has been completed.

Michael Fallon: holding answer 25 October 2013
	For all applicants in the direct retail offer, bank instructions for any applicable refunds were made or, where relevant, refund cheques were issued, by the end of last week. The Government is not responsible for refunds to applicants in the intermediaries offer.

Telephone Services

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what his Department's policy is on the use of geographical telephone numbers to allow the public to contact his Department.

Jo Swinson: The Department provides 03 prefix numbers for all new public facing contact points. All existing public facing numbers will be changed to 03 numbers by January 2014. The cost of calling 03 numbers is no higher than calls to geographic numbers (01 and 02).

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Fuel Poverty

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the estimated number of people affected by fuel poverty was in each month since June 2010 in (a) the UK, (b) Scotland, (c) England, (d) Wales and (e) Northern Ireland.

Gregory Barker: Data on fuel poverty are only available on an annual basis and is measured at the household level. The following table shows estimates for the number of households in fuel poverty in 2010 and 2011, split by country:
	
		
			 Number of households in fuel poverty (million) 
			 Country 2010 2011 
			 England 3.54 3.20 
			 Scotland 0.66 0.58 
			 Wales 0.33 0.37 
			 Northern Ireland 0.30 0.29 
			 UK 4.75 4.50 
		
	
	These figures are calculated using the 10% measure of fuel poverty, which is the headline measure used in countries other than England, whereby a household is said to be fuel poor if it needs to spend more than 10% of its income on fuel to maintain an adequate level of warmth.
	Under the new Low Income High Cost indicator a household is considered fuel poor if they have above average fuel costs and were they to spend that amount on fuel, they would be left with a residual income below the official poverty line. The number of households in fuel poverty using the Low Income High Costs measure is only available for England.
	The latest year with data available is 2011. Total UK figures have been rounded to nearest 0.25 million, due to the uncertainty associated with the estimates by country.
	These estimates were published in the ‘Fuel poverty report: annual report on statistics 2013’:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fuel-poverty-report-annual-report-on-statistics-2013

Fuel Poverty

Bob Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many households in (a) Coventry, (b) Coventry North East constituency, (c) the West Midlands and (d) England were in fuel poverty in the latest period for which figures are available.

Gregory Barker: In July of this year, the Government announced its' intention to adopt the low income high costs definition of fuel poverty, based on the recommendations from Professor Hills' independent review. Statistics on fuel poverty under this indicator were published in August. The estimated number and proportion of households in fuel poverty in 2011 for (a) Coventry, (b) Coventry North East constituency, (c) the west midlands and (d) England under the low income high costs definition are given as follows:
	
		
			   LIHC Definition 
			 Geography level Name Number in fuel poverty (thousands) Proportion (%) 
			 Local authority Coventry 20 15.7 
			 Parliamentary constituency Coventry North East 7 15.5 
			 Region West midlands 316 13.8 
			 Country England 2,390 10.9

Green Deal Scheme

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many people in (a) Doncaster, (b) South Yorkshire and (c) the UK have received a discount under a Green Deal plan on the most recent date for which figures are available.

Gregory Barker: I believe the right hon. Member for Don Valley is referring to the cashback scheme. The Department's latest monthly Green Deal/ECO statistical release, published on 17 October 2013, showed that 6,512 Cashback vouchers had been paid to households in England and Wales by the end of September 2013.
	Our latest quarterly Green Deal/ECO statistical release, published on 19 September 2013, showed that, of the 3,449 Cashback vouchers paid to households in England and Wales up to the end of June 2013, 68 had been to households in South Yorkshire, of which four had been to households in Doncaster.
	The latest monthly statistical release can be found at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/green-deal-and-energy-company-obligation-eco-statistics
	The latest quarterly statistical release can be found at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/green-deal-and-energy-company-obligation-eco-january-june-2013-statistics

Hinkley Point C Power Station

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what security vetting will be applied to employees and executives of (a) EDF Energy, (b) AREVA, (c) China General Nuclear Corporation and (d) China National Nuclear Corporation during their work on the Hinkley C nuclear plant; and who will pay the costs of such security vetting.

Michael Fallon: In the UK, all employees in the civil nuclear industry and contractors must be vetted to a level of clearance commensurate with their access to nuclear material and/or sensitive nuclear information or technology in accordance with the Nuclear Industries Security Regulations 2003.
	Agreed standards and processes are applied in accordance with the UK's national security vetting policies and all vetting costs are recoverable from industry.

Hinkley Point C Power Station

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change under what conditions the agreed strike price for electricity generated at Hinkley Point C nuclear plant may be revised upwards in future.

Michael Fallon: The key commercial terms agreed for a proposed investment contract for Hinkley Point C include arrangements whereby the strike price could be adjusted in relation to:
	operational and certain other costs (including balancing and transmission charges and business rates) at certain fixed points;
	certain future changes in law (including in respect of specific nuclear taxes, and uranium and certain generation taxes);
	arrangements whereby Hinkley Point C would be protected from being curtailed without appropriate compensation;
	increases in nuclear insurance costs as a result of withdrawal of HMG cover or in certain circumstances where market cover in the nuclear insurance market is no longer available.
	The strike price of £89.50/MWh is fully indexed to the consumer price index. This price benefits from an upfront reduction of £3/MWh built in on the assumption that EDF will be able to share the first of a kind costs of the EPR reactors across the Hinkley Point C and Sizewell C sites. If EDF does not take a final investment decision on Sizewell C, the strike price for Hinkley will be £92.50/MWh.

Hinkley Point C Power Station

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change with reference to his Department's press release of 21 October 2013 on Hinkley Point C nuclear power station, what the evidential basis is of his statement that 57% of the Hinkley C project's construction value could be spent in the UK.

Michael Fallon: The estimate of 57% is based on EDF's extensive research into the project and provides the most accurate estimate we have on the project's construction value that could be spent in the UK.

Hinkley Point C Power Station

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps he is taking to prevent cost overruns in construction of the Hinkley Point C nuclear project.

Michael Fallon: It is for the developer to ensure that construction is delivered within budget and to schedule. Should construction costs overrun beyond the agreed maximum cost provided for in any investment contract that is offered to the developer, it is the developer that is liable for these costs. The costs of these overruns will not be remunerated through the investment contract.

Natural Gas: Barrow in Furness

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent estimate he has made of the number of homes in Barrow and Furness constituency that do not have access to a mains gas supply.

Michael Fallon: The exact number of homes that do not have access to the gas network is not held centrally.
	Estimates have been produced based on information from the Gemserv database on the location of electricity meters, and data from xoserve and independent gas transporters on the location of gas meters, which are used to produce the Department’s sub-national energy statistics. Subtracting the number of gas meters from the number of electricity meters produces a broad estimate of the number of homes that do not have access to the gas network. It should be noted that these estimates will overestimate the number of homes due to some homes having more than one electricity meter, and also that the statistics may include non-domestic gas meters. Meter point consumption data is available at a local authority level, and not by constituency. The number of homes that do not have access to a mains gas supply in the Barrow and Furness constituency can be estimated by combining figures for Barrow-in-Furness and South Lakeland local authorities.
	It is estimated, that, for 2011, 15,802 homes in the Barrow and Furness constituency did not have access to the gas network; this represents 18.3% of homes in the area.
	The underlying data on the number of gas and electricity meters in each local authority are available at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/sub-national-electricity-consumption-data
	https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/sub-national-gas-consumption-data

Nuclear Power

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what research programmes have been supported by resources from his Department's budget on (a) nuclear waste management, (b) nuclear plant decommissioning and (c) plutonium disposition since May 2010.

Michael Fallon: The Department has contributed to a number of research programmes and projects since May 2010 including: the creation of the National Nuclear User Facility; the construction of the international Jules Horowitz Research Reactor; and a range of smaller studies to consider the prospects for advanced reactor systems and fuel types.
	These programmes and projects have the potential to contribute towards future research in waste management, plant decommissioning and plutonium disposition, as well as a range of other related topics.
	The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, who are funded from the Department's budget, also engages in research, both directly and through its wider estate in these areas.

Petrochemicals: Grangemouth

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the importance to the UK's fuel supply chain of the INEOS refinery at Grangemouth.

Michael Fallon: The Grangemouth refinery accounts for 14% of UK refining capacity. The Government is working with the downstream oil sector to review how our demand for refined oil products is likely to be met in the coming decades. Conclusions from the DECC review will be published around the turn of this year.

Petrochemicals: Industry

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent assessment he has made of the state of the UK's petrochemical sector; and what assessment he has made of the effects of the decision to close the Grangemouth site on this sector.

Michael Fallon: The chemical industry is the UK’s leading manufacturing exporter and has significant growth potential. The chemical industries growth strategy published on 22 October sets out a trajectory for gross value added (GVA) to increase by more than 50% by 2030 (from £195 billion to £300 billion), providing priority issues can be addressed. When the strategy was published, I and the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, the right hon. Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), met industry leaders who have formed the Chemical Growth Partnership to discuss these prospects, and how the issues can be addressed by the industry, working with government where needed. A copy of the industry-led growth strategy can be found at the Chemical Industries website:
	http://www.cia.org.uk/Portals/0/Documents/Growth%20 Strategy%20FINAL.PDF
	I am delighted that INEOS announced on Friday 25 October that their Grangemouth petro-chemical plant would remain open, following assurances given by the Unite union, and that major new investment will go ahead. This is a very positive outcome. Grangemouth is important to the Scottish economy and the UK economy, and closure would have been a huge blow for the local community. Some 800 jobs at risk in the plant have been saved and significant potential knock-on effects averted for jobs in the local economy and wider supply chain.

Radioactive Waste

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change who will be responsible for paying costs above the cap established on the cost of managing nuclear waste under his Department's Radioactive Waste and Decommissioning Financing Arrangements.

Michael Fallon: The terms on which the Government will take title to and liability for higher activity waste from a new nuclear power station for disposal in the planned geological disposal facility will be set out in a waste contract with the operator. The price that the Government will charge the operators for this service, the waste transfer price, will be determined in accordance with the Government's published waste transfer pricing methodology.
	The waste contract will, at the outset, set a cap on the level of the waste transfer price and the published methodology sets out how this cap will be determined. In setting a cap, the residual risk that actual cost might exceed the cap is being borne by the Government. Therefore the Government will charge the operator an appropriate risk fee for this risk transfer. The cap will be set at a level that reflects the Government's current analysis of risk and uncertainty around waste disposal costs and gives a very high level of confidence that actual cost will not exceed the cap.

Renewable Energy

Alan Whitehead: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what provision he is making for the cancellation or re-allocation of contracts for difference allocated by investment instruments in the event of delay or non-performance by the body holding the instrument in providing the power underwritten by the contract for difference.

Michael Fallon: It is our intention that investment contracts for all low carbon technologies will include a provision for cancellation in certain circumstances.

Wind Power: Seas and Oceans

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many unplanned episodes of maintenance there have been on offshore wind turbines in each of the last three years.

Michael Fallon: The Department does not hold this information.

Wind Power: Seas and Oceans

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment is made of the effect on (a) marine and (b) terrestrial wildlife during the approval process of offshore wind farms.

Michael Fallon: For nationally significant offshore wind farms in English and Welsh waters, potential environmental effects are considered in the Overarching National Policy Statement for Energy (EN-1)(1) and the National Policy Statement for Renewable Energy Infrastructure (EN- 3), which were designated under the Planning Act 2008 in July 2011.
	At a project level, applications for development consent are considered in an open process by an independent examining authority, taking into account all relevant issues raised by interested parties, including the Government's statutory nature conservation advisors. Decisions on nationally significant energy applications are informed by the examining authorities' reports, including its conclusions on environmental impacts.
	Decisions are published on the National Infrastructure Planning Portal:
	http://infrastructure.planningportal.gov.uk/
	(1 )EN-1 and EN-3 set the policy context for nationally significant energy infrastructure, including offshore wind farms of greater than 100MWcapacity.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Arts: Young People

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether the criteria for funding from her Department to arts institutions include maximising access for children and young people.

Edward Vaizey: DCMS provides Government funding and Lottery funding for the arts via the arm’s length body, Arts Council England. In agreement with Ministers, the Arts Council has set out its strategy for investing these funds: ‘Achieving Great Art for Everyone’. This strategy includes a clear goal for every child and young person to have the opportunity to experience the richness of the arts. Complementary to this, DCMS requires the Arts Council's decisions on Lottery funding to take account of the need to inspire children and young people, awakening their interest and involvement in the arts.
	The Arts Council's network of 10 'bridge' organisations are using their experience and expertise to connect children and young people, schools and communities with art and culture.
	My Department in partnership with the Department for Education and other partners is implementing the ‘National Plan for Music Education and Cultural Education’, which sets out this Government's plan for cultural education in England, summarising opportunities open to schools and teachers.

Arts: Young People

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Education on young people's access to the arts, heritage and creative sector.

Edward Vaizey: Ministers and officials at DCMS have regular discussions with the Department for Education on supporting young people's access to high quality artistic and cultural experiences. I jointly chair, along with the Under-Secretary of State for Education and Childcare (Elizabeth Truss), the Cultural Education Board, which oversees this Government's investment of £292 million, up to 2015, in cultural education.

National Media Museum

David Ward: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps her Department in taking to secure the future of the National Media Museum in Bradford.

Edward Vaizey: Following the outcome of the spending review in July 2013, the reduction in resource and capital grants for the national museums sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport was limited to 5% in 2015-16. In addition, a package of operational and financial freedoms has been granted to national museums and galleries which will help them act more strategically, increase revenues from their commercial operations and attract more philanthropic donations. In the light of this settlement, the Science Museum Group confirmed that all of its museums will remain open.
	The Minister for Culture, Communications and Creative Industries held a round table meeting on 16 September at the National Media Museum in Bradford, to discuss plans for securing a sustainable future for that museum. In attendance were local MPs, and representatives of the Science Museum Group, Bradford city council, the university of Bradford, Bradford college, Bradford academy, and the Chamber of Commerce.

Sports: Chelmsford

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what funding she plans to provide to improve sporting facilities in Chelmsford.

Helen Grant: Through Sport England, we have already invested significantly to improve sporting facilities and increase the provision of sporting opportunities in Chelmsford. Since 2010, Sport England has invested over £400,000 as follows:
	
		
			 Organisation Sport England investment programme Award (£) 
			 Essex Boys and Girls Clubs Small Grants 8,200 
			 Chelmsford Borough Council Small Grants 6,550 
			 Chelmsford Borough Council Small Grants 3,420 
			 Chelmsford Gym Club Small Grants 10,000 
			 William de Ferrers School Small Grants 9,948 
			 Essex Women’s Cricket Association Small Grants 10,000 
			 Galleywood Playing Field Management Committee Inspired Facilities 49,263 
			 Chelmsford Borough Council Inspired Facilities 92,500 
			 David Smith Memorial Hall and Recreation Ground Charity Inspired Facilities 48,000 
			 East Hanningfield and Great Burstead CC Inspired Facilities 50,000 
			 Chelmsford College College Sport Makers 105,000 
			 Swallows Gymnastics Club Small Grants 9,950 
			  Total 402,831 
		
	
	Sport England continues to welcome applications for further funding from community sports clubs and other organisations in Chelmsford which can demonstrate how investment in a project will meet local need.

Sports: Chelmsford

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the effect of the legacy of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games on sport in Chelmsford.

Helen Grant: The legacy of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic games has had a positive effect on local communities around the UK. The percentage of people who play sport regularly in Chelmsford has increased by 6.7% since 2005 when we won the games. Currently 44.3% of people in Chelmsford play sport regularly which compares favourably to the national average of 35.2%. There has been over £400,000 investment in Chelmsford sports projects, sport makers and facilities since 2010.

Television: Northern Ireland

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent assessment her Department has made of the level of television licence evasion in Northern Ireland; what steps she is taking to reduce such evasion in Northern Ireland; and if she will make a statement.

Edward Vaizey: The BBC produce statistics relating to evasion rates in the UK using a model that compares the number of licences in force to external statistics on the number of households and other licensable places in the UK.
	In order to give an estimated figure by nation, the BBC use a calculation referred to as “crude evasion”. The crude evasion rate is calculated using a process which estimates the number of unlicensed sites as a percentage of the “licensable universe”, where the licensable universe is the total number of sites, adjusted by an estimate of those that are unoccupied on the TV licensing database. Using this crude evasion calculation gives a figure of 8.10% for Northern Ireland for 2012-13.

Television: Northern Ireland

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many television licences were purchased in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years; and if she will make a statement.

Edward Vaizey: The BBC does not report on the exact number of licences in force below the level of UK (except in Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man for which exact figures are held). However, the BBC receives a monthly report which lists licences in force excluding accommodation for residential care concessionary licences. The total licences in force figure (excluding the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man) is then apportioned to the figure of licensed premises in the British isles by region, giving an approximation of licences in force by UK nations. The same apportionment has then been used to approximate licence fee income by nation.
	Using the criteria set out above, the following table sets out the number of television licences purchased in Northern Ireland in the last five years.
	
		
			 As at end of March each year Estimated number of TV licences purchased in Northern Ireland 
			 2008-09 644,022 
			 2009-10 655,125 
			 2010-11 663,635 
			 2011-12 668,420 
			 2012-13 673,275

WORK AND PENSIONS

Food Banks

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 14 October 2013, Official Report, columns 489-90W, on food banks, what criteria Jobcentre Plus branches use in deciding when it is appropriate to signpost a person to a food bank.

Esther McVey: Jobcentre Plus staff will assess an individual's circumstances and signpost them to the most appropriate help which is available to them.

Jobseeker's Allowance: Birmingham

Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in Birmingham, Hall Green constituency receive jobseeker's allowance (JSA); how many people in Birmingham, Hall Green constituency have been sanctioned and had their JSA stopped in the last year for which figures are available; and how many job vacancies there were in Birmingham, Hall Green constituency in that year.

Esther McVey: Statistics on how many people in Birmingham, Hall Green constituency receive jobseeker's allowance (JSA) can be found at:
	https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/default.asp
	Guidance for users can be found at:
	https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/home/newuser.asp
	Statistics on how many people in Birmingham, Hall Green constituency have been sanctioned and had their JSA stopped in the last year for which figures are available are given in the following table:
	
		
			 Number of jobseeker's allowance (JSA) claimants with a sanction applied by parliamentary constituency: 1 June 2011 to 31 May 2012 
			 Parliamentary constituency Total 
			 Birmingham, Hall Green 2,140 
			 Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Sanctions applied: The number of sanctions applied is the number of Varied, Fixed Length and Entitlement Decision sanction referrals where the decision was found against the claimant. 3. Parliamentary constituency: Parliamentary constituencies are assigned by matching postcodes against the relevant postcode directory. Boundaries are as at the reference date. More information and a map can be found at: http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/guide-method/geography/beginner-s-guide/maps/index.html 4. Data are up to and including 31 May 2012, which are the latest data available by parliamentary constituency. 5. Varied Length sanctions: A sanction of between one week and 26 weeks is imposed for leaving employment voluntarily without just cause, refusing employment without good cause, or losing employment through misconduct. The actual period in each case is at the discretion of the Adjudication Officer who makes the decision. 6. Fixed Length sanctions: A sanction of between one week and 26 weeks is imposed for refusal, without good cause, to attend an employment programme or carry out a Jobseeker's Direction. Payment of benefit continues in full pending the Adjudication Officer's decision on a sanction question. 7. Entitlement Decisions: These are questions on which entitlement to JSA depends. For example, if there is doubt around whether the Jobseeker's agreement (JSAg) is suitable, whether they are actively looking for work or making themselves available for work. In most cases payment of JSA will be suspended by benefit processing until the doubt is resolved. Source: DWP Information, Governance and Security Directorate: JSA Sanctions and Disallowance Decisions Statistics Database 
		
	
	Statistics on how many job vacancies there were in Birmingham, Hall Green constituency between June 2011 and May 2012 can be found at:
	https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/default.asp
	Guidance for users can be found at:
	https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/home/newuser.asp

Jobseeker's Allowance: Birmingham

Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people applied for jobseeker's allowance at Sparkhill Jobcentre Plus in each of the last five years for which figures are available; what proportion of those individuals were sanctioned in each year; and what proportion of all UK claimants were sanctioned over the same period.

Esther McVey: Information on how many people applied for jobseeker's allowance (JSA) at Sparkhill Jobcentre Plus and what proportion of those individuals were sanctioned is not available.
	Information on what proportion of JSA claimants were sanctioned in Great Britain is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost The information requested for Northern Ireland is not available.

Mesothelioma

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what steps the Government is taking to support mesothelioma sufferers who were exposed to asbestos;
	(2)  what support the Government has provided for those mesothelioma sufferers whose employers ceased trading, who were unable to trace their insurers and who therefore did not receive compensation;
	(3)  if he will bring forward legislative proposals to ensure that mesothelioma sufferers who were negligently exposed to asbestos who have not been compensated receive full compensation.

Michael Penning: On 9 May 2013 the Mesothelioma Bill was introduced to the House of Lords. The Bill provides for a scheme to be established to make payments to eligible people with diffuse mesothelioma. This applies to people who were exposed to asbestos either negligently or in breach of statutory duty by their employer in the United Kingdom and who are unable to bring a claim for damages against a relevant employer or their employers' liability (EL) insurer. Claims may also be brought by eligible dependants.
	The Bill provides that the Scheme, when it commences, will be open to applicants who are diagnosed with diffuse mesothelioma on or after 25 July 2012. The level of scheme payment will be made in accordance with a tariff related to a percentage of the average damages awarded in the civil courts.
	The provisions in the Mesothelioma Bill, in addition to on-going work across Government, will ensure people who develop diffuse mesothelioma as a consequence of their employment will be able to either access the compensation they deserve or a payment from the Scheme as quickly as possible.
	The Bill received its first reading in the House of Commons on 29 August 2013. The Bill is awaiting a date for its Second Reading.

New Enterprise Allowance

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many (a) men and (b) women have benefited from the New Enterprise Allowance Scheme in each month since January 2011.

Esther McVey: The numbers of men and women starting New Enterprise Allowance since its introduction in April 2011 are shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Allowance starts Mentor starts 
			  Female Male Female Male 
			 April 2011 * 10 10 60 
			 May 2011 * 40 30 130 
			 June 2011 10 70 50 190 
			 July 2011 30 80 140 540 
			 August 2011 70 180 300 1,000 
			 September 2011 90 320 470 1,380 
			 October 2011 180 520 520 1,380 
		
	
	
		
			 November 2011 240 670 520 1,300 
			 December 2011 190 520 370 840 
			 January 2012 310 770 570 1,340 
			 February 2012 320 820 620 1,340 
			 March 2012 350 870 600 1,410 
			 April 2012 380 800 530 1,200 
			 May 2012 400 880 590 1,430 
			 June 2012 330 750 490 1,080 
			 July 2012 340 780 680 1,550 
			 August 2012 270 720 720 1,600 
			 September 2012 350 670 630 1,430 
			 October 2012 400 910 790 1,510 
			 November 2012 470 930 1,240 2,300 
			 December 2012 350 650 790 1,600 
			 January 2013 510 1,040 1,230 2,390 
			 February 2013 540 1,090 1,300 2,490 
			 March 2013 650 1,210 1,470 2,600 
			 April 2013 810 1,440 1,370 2,490 
			 May 2013 640 1,210 1,370 2,420 
			 Note: Values have been rounded to the nearest 10. Values less than 10 are suppressed and marked with a ‘*’. Months are calendar months. Source: DWP LMS opportunities evaluation database June 2013.

Unemployed People: Barrow in Furness

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much was spent on refunding the cost of travel by jobseekers in Barrow and Furness constituency in each of the last three years.

Michael Penning: The cost of refunding travel by jobseekers in the Barrow and Furness constituency since April 2011 is:
	
		
			  Cost 
			 April 2013 to September 2013 17,767.79 
			 April 2012 to March 2013 22,909.69 
			 April 2011 to March 2012 21,558.67 
		
	
	The above response for PQ/13/172621 includes expenditure in refunding costs of travel by jobseekers to job interviews, skills training, sector based work academies and work trials, in addition to expenditure in refunding costs of jobseekers travel to interviews with Jobcentre Plus Advisers regarding work focussed interventions or benefit related queries.

Work Capability Assessment

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what guidance his Department gives on work capability assessments governing those who are terminally ill and have (a) 18, (b) 12 and (c) 6 months to live.

Michael Penning: Once identified, those who are terminally ill and have six months or less to live, have their cases handled under fast track rules, which mean their claim must be processed as soon as possible. These claimants will be placed in the support group and receive the higher rate of benefit immediately without undergoing a face-to-face work capability assessment.
	Everyone else will be treated under normal work capability assessment rules.

TRANSPORT

Buildings

Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much funding his Department made available for new buildings in the local authority areas of (a) East Cambridgeshire and (b) Fenland in each year for which data are available.

Stephen Hammond: The Department does not allocate funding at the district level with funds directed to the local highway and local transport authorities, in this case both Cambridgeshire county council. It would be for the county to determine how this funding is spent across the Cambridgeshire districts.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will instruct HS2 Ltd to commission KPMG to analyse the potential scale, range and distribution of regional economic impacts of alternatives to High Speed 2.

Robert Goodwill: The Government has no current plans to instruct HS2 Ltd to commission KPMG to undertake the work suggested.
	Previous work conducted for the Department to assess the rail alternatives to HS2 concluded that further enhancements of the existing network cannot produce the same level of benefits as HS2. It would provide only a fraction of the additional capacity released by HS2, and only at the cost of hugely disruptive engineering works on lines that are intensively used by passengers day in, day out. Building a new high speed network is the best way to provide the extra capacity that is required on our railways.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will direct HS2 Ltd to commission research on the effects on small businesses in the Culcheth and Rixton area of Warrington of road closures and other disruption resulting from the building of the High Speed 2 line on the initial preferred route.

Robert Goodwill: We are currently consulting on a proposed Phase Two route and detailed proposals for highway modifications and construction have not yet been developed. Once the public consultation is complete and a preferred route is chosen, an environmental impact assessment will be undertaken at which point the necessary surveys will be conducted.
	Construction impacts will be managed through the implementation of a code of construction practice which will set out the key principles to be followed to avoid, reduce or manage the construction effects associated with HS2.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

Domestic Violence

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General how many domestic violence courts were operating in England and Wales in each year since 2005; and what plans the Crown Prosecution Service has to (a) open new domestic violence courts, (b) close existing domestic violence courts, (c) cancel the opening of new domestic violence courts and (d) re-open domestic violence courts closed since 2010.

Shailesh Vara: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested is as follows:
	(a) The National Steering Group is in the process of accrediting two specialist domestic violence courts (SDVCs). Following this accreditation exercise, due to finish in 2014, there will be 137 SDVC systems. HMCTS works in partnership with local Authorities, police, Crown Prosecution Service and local support services where there are local needs for an SDVC where there is not one.
	(b) There are no plans to close existing SDVCs.
	(c) There are no plans to cancel the two new SDVCs that are currently going through the accreditation process.
	(d) There are no plans to reopen the nine SDVCs closed as a result of the court closures announced in 2010. The majority of domestic violence cases from these closed courts were moved to other existing SDVC schemes. Three new SDVCs were planned to deal with work from SDVCs that closed after the 2010 consultation and where there was not an accredited SDVC to which the work could move. One of these has already been accredited.
	
		
			 Number of specialist domestic violence courts (SDVC) operating in England and Wales from 2005-13 
			  Number 
			 2005-06 21 
		
	
	
		
			 2006-07 64 
			 2007-08 104 
			 2008-09 127 
			 2009-10 143 
			 2010-11 143 
			 2011-12 135 
			 2012-13 135 
			 2013-14 (1)137 
			 (1) Two SDVC pending accreditation

TREASURY

Banks

Lady Hermon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he last met the chief executives of (a) Danske Bank, (b) the Ulster Bank and (c) First Trust Bank; and what was on the agenda for those meetings.

Nicky Morgan: Treasury Ministers have meetings with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors, as part of the process of policy development and delivery.
	The Treasury publishes a list of ministerial meetings with external organisations. This is available online at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/minister_hospitality.htm

Banks: Standards

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the levels of satisfaction amongst (a) commercial clients and (b) non-commercial clients with regard to the performance of banks in which UK Financial Investments has a stake.

Sajid Javid: The Government's shareholdings in Lloyds Banking Group (LBG) and the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) are managed on a commercial and arm's length basis by UK Financial Investments Ltd (UKFI).
	UKFI's role is to manage the Government's shareholdings and not to manage the banks.
	Satisfaction among commercial and non-commercial clients is a matter for the banks themselves. The Government is therefore unable to comment on this matter.

Equitable Life Assurance Society: Compensation

Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many Equitable Life policyholders who are eligible for a one-off payment of £5,000 have been contacted to date; and how many policyholders he expects to be eligible for compensation.

Sajid Javid: Around 11,000 policyholders are eligible and they were all written to earlier this year with more detail on the payments.

Patents

Christopher Chope: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps the Government is taking to ensure that the Patent Box is not altered as a result of representations from the German government to the European Commission.

David Gauke: This Government introduced the Patent Box as part of a wider set of reforms aimed at creating the most competitive corporate tax system in the G20. Specifically the Patent Box has been introduced to encourage high value business investment in R&D and the commercialisation of technologies in the UK. We are confident that the Patent Box does not contravene any rules on harmful tax practices, and stand ready to make that case within the EU.
	The Patent Box regime is about fair and open tax competition which this Government supports as tax is a matter of national sovereignty and domestic tax rates and rules are rightly the preserve of national Governments.

Royal Sussex County Hospital

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the likely timescale between submission of the full business case for the redevelopment of the Royal Sussex Hospital put forward by Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust and (a) final approval and (b) release of funding; and if he will make a statement.

Danny Alexander: The development at the Royal Sussex County Hospital is at the outline business case stage. The outline business case is currently being reviewed by the Government, alongside supplementary information to demonstrate the affordability of the project. Once the outline business case has been approved, it is the Trust's responsibility to develop and submit a sound full business case. The timetable for reviewing the case will depend on the level of risk carried by the project, and the extent to which it satisfies HM Treasury Green Book evaluation criteria. If the Government is content with the full business case, final approval will be given to release funds.

Taxation: Property

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many enveloped properties are expected to be subject to the Annual Tax on Enveloped Dwellings;
	(2)  how much the Annual Tax on Enveloped Dwellings is expected to raise for the Exchequer in each year to 2017-18.

David Gauke: holding answer 17 October 2013
	At Budget 2013, HM Revenue and Customs estimated that around 1,100 properties would be subject to the Annual Tax on Enveloped Dwellings (ATED) in 2013-14, falling to around 600 in subsequent years. This was based on an assumption that around 2,100 properties would be removed from envelopes prior to the introduction of the new tax, followed by a further 500 during 2013-14.
	The expected yield from ATED was published in table 2.1 and table 2.2 of Budget 2013 as part of the costing for the wider package of measures to address enveloping of property. This costing is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 
			 Table 2.2: SDLT: avoidance on residential property and associated CGT changes 75 75 80 90 100 
			 Table 2.1: ATED and SDLT 15% rate: reliefs for commercial businesses -30 -40 -40 -40 -45